We didn’t see an attempt by 40-year old Erika Braun at earning her 2012 US Olympic Trials standard at the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix last weekend, which would’ve been a logical stop for the swimmer who trains with the Raleigh Marlins.
But that doesn’t mean she was punting on the attempt. Today, at the Josh Weaver Memorial “Meet on the Hill” on the UNC campus, Braun swam a 26.32, a tenth better than she’s been in this Olympic cycle, to clear the required mark of 26.39.
The entire crowd at the Koury Natatorium knew what they were watching and went nuts when the number flashed on the board. It was an awesome scene.
This is not Braun’s first go-around with elite swimming. Though she’s not as well-known as the ultimate 40-year old Dara Torres, the pair have raced before. Braun, who was then high school swimmer Erika Bass, swam a 27.17 at the 1988 Olympic Trials in Austin. Torres was 5th in that event.
Braun then went on to swim on a scholarship at the University of Georgia, but after two years with the Bulldogs, she never again qualified for the Trials, until now. 24-years later, she’ll be in Omaha racing the country’s best and brightest. And Braun is not a full-time swimmer either; she holds down a full-time gig as the Director of Human Resources at the Golden Corral corporate office. She has shown both in-and-out of the water that she is just a winner.
She’ll take another shot on Sunday in the 100 free, where her best is 58.55. The standard there is 57.19.
Check out the video of the race above. Get motivated, again.
I hope to join this group of 40+ Olympic trial swimmers in ’16!!