'Absolute thrill': Germantown Hills swimmer officially makes Team USA for Paris Olympics

Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star

PEORIA — Anna Peplowski began her swimming journey as a kid in her grandmother's pool.

Now she's going to swim in a pool at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Germantown Hills native's lifelong dream to reach the Olympics became a reality when the Indiana University star was officially added to the U.S. women's swim team Saturday night for the 2024 Paris Olympics next month.

"The ceremony to announce the roster was incredible," Peplowski said Sunday morning. "They sent me up on an elevator in front of 20,000 people in (Lucas Oil Stadium), all cheering. It was just an experience that gave me chills. An absolute thrill."

Paris Olympics: Germantown Hills native's Trials finish earns nomination for place on U.S. swim team headed to Paris Olympics

How did Anna Peplowski make the Olympics?

The former Metamora swimmer finished fifth in the 200 freestyle Monday night in the U.S. Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to earn the nomination to a roster spot.

After days of waiting to see if the U.S. roster would expand large enough to include her, she got the official word on Saturday night, according to a release on usswimming.org. Peplowski will head to Paris as an Olympian next month and be eligible to swim relays as an alternate.

"I haven't gotten my mind around all of this yet," Peplowski said. "It's been crazy and I'm just trying to take it all in."

Germantown Hills native Anna Peplowski was among the 11 athletes added to the U.S. men's and women's Olympic swim teams Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. She is on the U.S. roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics next month.
Germantown Hills native Anna Peplowski was among the 11 athletes added to the U.S. men's and women's Olympic swim teams Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. She is on the U.S. roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics next month.

What is next for Anna Peplowski?

Peplowski will join the U.S. Olympic women's swim team on July 2 in North Carolina for a week-long training camp session. She departs with the team after that for Croatia, where they will spend two weeks training and competing in the days leading to Paris.

"I've never been to Europe," she said. "This is my first time going there, it's so exciting. I can remember when I first started swimming in my grandmother's pool, she lived across the street from us. Honestly, as a kid I didn't like the swimming as much as I liked being there with my friends.

"But I fell in love with it and now, being on the Olympic team, it's a lifelong dream."

Peplowski, the 2020-21 Journal Star swimmer of the year, is the first Peoria-born athlete to go the Olympics since figure skater Matt Savoie competed in the 2006 Turin Olympics.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Absolute thrill': Germantown Hills swimmer makes Team USA for 2024 Paris Olympics

Advertisement