Amie Barrow grew up here.
"I loved swimming for Shorewood," The Gambia Olympics 100 breaststroke swimmer says. "I started like swimming when I was like, a baby. I did like baby swimming and then lessons when I lived in England. And then as a kid? I always did swimming and gymnastics. And then when I moved to Shorewood, my Mom told me to pick one to start and so I picked swimming."
But on the world stage, she'll become the first female swimmer for the country of The Gambia in the Olympics.
"I'd like to just go my best time," Barrow says. "I feel like I've been in the weight room a lot. I've been doing a lot of power tower so I definitely think that there's more in there than what I've done so far. But ultimately like, I mean it's the Olympics. Like I just wanna take in the experience."
Watch: Shorewood swimmer to represent The Gambia in Paris Olympics.
She'll swim the 100 breaststroke, hoping to inspire.
"I think swimming in general like isn't a super diverse sport," Barrow says. "Like I can count on one hand the number of girls that I've trained with, raced with that look like me. So I think like within the U.S. but also globally trying to make it a bit more accessible and more diverse is definitely something that I really hope for."
And she'll be taking in every moment.
"Well hopefully, when I'm actually on the blocks there will be nothing going through my head, because I think when I start thinking too much in a race I know, it's probably not going to be very good, " Barrow says. "But I don't know. Like I think after the race? I'm gonna try to like look around and like really take it in and not just like run off."
Barrow very proud that she is one of two Milwaukee swimmers who will be representing in the Olympics. The other is Ziyad Saleem swimming for the country of Sudan. Saleem also says that swimming needs more attention and hopefully this will help spur it on in the Milwaukee area.
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