Swimmer heading for Olympic Trials

GREEN BAY - Besting your peers in the pool is one thing. Another, dealing with gold medalists like Michael Phelps and Ryan Locthe.

"I think it would be very intimidating to be next to one of the fastest guys in the world,” said 18-year-old John Bushman. “I would probably get destroyed by them. They are very fast, but it would be a lot of fun."

That’s on deck for Bushman, who is home-schooled and swims competitively with the Green Bay YMCA. He qualified for and will compete in the Olympic Trials in June our in Omaha, swimming the 200 meter breaststroke.

"He's gifted, he's a big, strong young man, that's helpful, too,” said Green Bay YMCA Competitive Swimming Director Dave Korst. “I think the will, the desire, the drive to be the best in the sport."

To earn a spot at the trials, Bushman had to meet a specific cutoff time, mark he finally achieved.

“I needed to get 2:20.7 in the 200 meter breaststroke, I got 2:19.7, I believe,” said Bushman. “I needed 2:20 ... I hit the wall, saw 2:19, I was like, yes."

Bushman is qualified in one event, but hopes to meet the Olympic standard in another event before the June trials so he can compete in multiple events.

Just two swimmers per event make the actual Olympic team, but there are other goals on the table when Bushman heads to Omaha.

‘If we improve more than a little bit, we may have a chance to get a second swim in, which would be a huge accomplishment for a swimmer at this meet, to be one of the top 24 swimmers," said Korst.

If he doesn’t make the Olympics this go round, that doesn’t mean Bushman’s international dreams are done. He’ll swim for Wisconsin starting next year, and has his eyes on future Games.

"I am hoping to make the 2016 Olympic team,” said Bushman. “Going to Wisconsin, I believe the head coach there can get me to that level of competing."

John’s older brother Luke also is going to the Olympic Trials in June. He is currently a swimmer at Minnesota.