The "Holy Grail" of swim photos is Gwen Stefani swimming 'fly in high school - I have not found it yet but I did find "Excaliber!"

Who is that age-grouper sitting on the left? LOL. Here is a hint: She has been to five Olympics and is currently shooting for six! She has won twelve Olympic medals or four of each. That's right: Four golds, four silvers, four bronze! How is that for symmetry? She never swam for her supper but swims because she loves it.

Her name: DARA TORRES with her coach, Terry Palma, out of Culver City, California.

SCAQ has had quite a history with Culver City swimming and recently has resurrected the Culver City Swim Club, a club Dara swam with.

Dara’s Culver City team folded around 1988 but when the current pool; (currently christened The Culver City Plunge), was rebuilt on top of the same location as the ancient Culver City pool, SCAQ started a new age group program, the Culver City Swim Club with a grant from a SCAQ executive. That was 1996, the program grew to 80 kids, three of these kids have gone on to college swim teams, graduated and then returned and are swimming SCAQ.

After a two year run SCAQ turned the reins over to another team from a local city but the results were mixed in 2008 SCAQ was back at it again. We stepped in to assist and the CCSC team has grown into a massive program where 300 kids have now swum in a low key novice setting the last three years.

Eighty kids swim one or more workouts per week over the winter and come summer this will most likely balloon to well over a 120-swimmers. This is a novice, introductory swim team, where after a couple years, when the kids get fast enough if we push them into a more elite team that is also swimming at the pool.

By the way: Culver City Swim Club also had another Olympic Gold medalist alumni: Tiffany Cohn, born and she started swimming at Culver City as well. She was a double gold medalist in the 400 and 800 free. Not bad for small Culver City.

UPDATE:

KID’S SWIM TEAM - CCSC – Culver City Swim Club: A novice swim team created and sponsored by the SCAQ masters at the Culver Plunge and is the lowest cost swim team around, starting at $40 a month. If you are interested please email info@culvercityswimclub.com