BATH, Maine — As the first week of the Olympic Summer Games come to a close, swimming and gymnastics events returned to the center of the sports world in Paris.
Fans may not follow those athletes closely outside the games, but young Mainers at the Bath Area Family YMCA can appreciate all their hard work.
The Long Reach Swim Club has won the past 34 Maine state YMCA swimming titles all under the watch of former University of Maine swimmer Jay Morrissette, who has coached the team for decades.
“My job is to develop age-group competitive swimmers, teach them some life skills through the tool of swimming to do it. And make sure they’re enjoying the sport; this can be a very tedious training sport," Morissette said.
He admitted that while his training methods haven't changed over the years, his swimmers keep getting faster. The program had 190 swimmers from ages 7 to 18 last year. A focus for Morissette is to provide a fun environment and keep them engaged with the sport, but the program has produced a lot of talented athletes.
Eight of its swimmers have competed in the Olympic trails, including native James Wells, who Morissette said still returns to the pool to speak with the current YMCA swimmer.
Wells made national headlines last month when he proposed to his girlfriend Lily King after she competed in the Olympic Trials. King and Wells both hold pool records at the YMCA in Bath.
Wells and Morissette are also members of the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, which is located in the YMCA.
Every four years, Morissette said the Olympics get his swimmers excited about the sport as they cheer on Team USA while having a unique understanding of the preparation and performance the Olympians go through.
Across the hall, Kym Grangers' gymnastics team has been following Team USA's success in Paris.
“It’s very, very fun and exciting. It’s so inspirational and aspirational for our athletes to be able to follow these girls," Granger said. “I think every athlete that comes in and starts gymnastics and feels some success is like, 'I want to go to the Olympics.'"
Granger was also part of the program at the YMCA when she was growing up in the area. The program has been around for more than 50 years and also competes against other YMCAs across Maine and New England.
She encourages her athletes as they develop their skills on the floor or on the bars, but Granger said it's also an opportunity to develop them as good people and to build their confidence.
"You listen to them about what their hopes and their dreams are, what things they want to do best, what things are giving them trouble and we work through that," she added.
Kallie Gagne is a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire and spent years training with Granger.
“It’s a place where you just come in and all your problems go away, plus you learn how to fall gracefully," she added.
She and her teammates are able to watch Olympic legends like Simone Biles compete through a different lens than an average fan.
“It’s definitely a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, people see all the excellence that they do, but they don’t see the mental pressure it puts on, the physical pressure," Gagne added.