Carmel native Connor Rogers is heading to Indianapolis to compete in the Olympic Trials. The first-ever trials will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium from June 15 to 23, with an expected crowd of 30,000. When Rogers found out he had qualified, he couldn't believe it. “I was more in shock. I kept looking at the board to see if I could keep that time and not get disqualified. There was no reason for me to be disqualified. I just couldn't believe it was happening,” Rogers said. The 22-year-old's swimming journey began at Monterey Peninsula College's pool, where he swam with the Monterey Bay Swim Club. His talent was there from an early age. His mother, Christina Rogers, who oversees the club, wanted him to realize his talent without forcing him into the sport. “He looked pretty good. He was 10 years old and he fell in love with swimming,” Christina said. “He just worked hard. There was no pressure. After the meet, we went out to dinner and he just wanted to have as much fun as possible.” Rogers attended George Washington University and went on to a Division 1 program. He was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference first team every season he was there. This year, he won the 400 and 200 individual medley at the conference tournament and qualified for the Olympic Trials in his final race of the season. Now, the kid from Carmel will be competing against some of the biggest names in the sport. “It's going to be a crazy swim meet and it's really cool to swim with some of the biggest names in swimming, like Katie Ledecky and Caleb Dressel,” Rogers said. Whatever happens, from an 11-year-old boy who dreamed of competing at the Olympic Trials to a 22-year-old man whose dream has come true, he's sure to remember this experience. “This has always been my goal and I'll never get another chance to achieve this. I can say I've done this and I'll be happy with it for the rest of my life,” Rogers said.
Carmel native Connor Rogers will travel to Indianapolis to compete in the Olympic Trials, which will be held for the first time at Lucas Oil Stadium from June 15-23 and is expected to draw 30,000 fans.
When Rogers found out he'd been selected, he was in total disbelief.
“I was more in shock. I kept looking at the board to see if I'd hit that time and if I was going to be disqualified, which I wasn't. I just couldn't believe it was happening,” Rogers said.
The 22-year-old's swimming journey began in the pool at Monterey Peninsula College and then with the Monterey Bay Swim Club.
His talent was apparent from an early age, and his mother, Christina Rogers, who oversees the club, wanted to help him realise it without forcing him into sport.
“He seemed to be pretty good. He was 10 years old and he seemed to love it,” Christina said. “He just persevered and didn't feel any pressure. After the game we went out to dinner and had as much fun as possible.”
Rogers went on to swim at a Division I program at George Washington University, where he was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference first team every season.
This year, he won the 400 and 200 individual medley at the conference tournament and qualified for the Olympic Trials in his final race of the season.
Now the kid from Carmel will be competing against some of the biggest names in the sport.
“It's going to be an amazing swim meet. It's going to be awesome to swim with some of the biggest names in swimming like Katie Ledecky and Caleb Dressel,” Rogers said.
Whatever happens, from the 11-year-old boy who dreamed of competing in the Olympic Trials to the 22-year-old man who realized that dream, it's an experience he'll never forget.
“This has always been a goal of mine and I'll never get another chance to achieve this. I can say I accomplished this and I'll be satisfied for the rest of my life,” Rogers said.
