Be like water. Be like Weber.

Emma Weber feels at home in a swimming pool. When she dives in, stress becomes the wake, her mind becomes relaxed.

“It is very therapeutic, very soothing. I am in touch with myself and how I am feeling,” Weber said. “And usually when I am racing, I can’t hear anything.”

Finding peace led to a roar Weber will never forget. Considered a longshot or even an afterthought, Weber delivered the performance of her life at the Olympic trials in Indianapolis last month, clocking a personal-best 1-minute, 6.10-second time in the 100-meter breaststroke.

From Regis to Paris. Welcome to your first Olympic team, Emma.

“I was definitely shocked. I knew it was a possibility going into the meet and once I got through the semis, that’s when I first thought it could happen,” Weber told The Denver Post in between training sessions. “I began believing I can do this. But I was still surprised when I touched that wall.”

Weber finished second to breaststroke queen Lilly King and edged Tokyo gold medalist Lydia Jacoby by 0.27 seconds. For Weber, the moment represented a triumph of years of practice and passion. A little over a minute. That’s not a long time. But enough to change a life.

“It was amazing. The emotions made me shake and cry,” said Deirdre Weber, Emma’s mother. “I didn’t know where she finished until it came up on the Jumbotron. I started crying in disbelief.”

While most in the swim community were not expecting Weber to advance, this was not an accident. Weber had been visualizing this moment since she was 6 years old. That’s when she first told her mom she was going to the Olympics.

The dream began taking shape over several years. Missy Franklin, the most decorated Colorado swimmer in Olympic history, played a role without even realizing it. Weber attended a few of Franklin’s prep meets. It was like past generations seeing Michael Jordan on the hardcourt.

“Missy was a huge inspiration. We would pack in there and watch her swim. At the time I was living in Boulder, so I never thought I would go to Regis (Jesuit). Seeing her compete was a big deal,” Weber said of Franklin, a 2013 graduate who had the Regis Jesuit pool named in her honor in April. “I mean without her inspiration, I am not sure I would have wanted to swim in college or pursue this goal.”

Weber grew up in an athletic family. Her dad, Kurt, competed and loved sports. Deirdre ran track in college at Richmond and Emma’s younger brother Reid played lacrosse. For the longest time, it looked like Emma might focus on the outdoor path. But in seventh grade, her mind changed. She decided to shift all of her energy to swimming.

Making the choice was easy. Then came the hard part. The schedule. Once she joined the Denver Hilltoppers, there were no shortcuts. It began a routine of 4:15 a.m. wakeup calls, breakfast in the car on the drive to Denver, practice, return to school in Boulder, back to practice in Denver and dinner in traffic while driving back to Boulder to start homework at 9 p.m. Weber was developing into an elite swimmer and her parents were training to become long haul truckers.

“I would sleep in the car. Eat in the car. It was a commitment for the entire family,” Emma said.

Or as her mother, Deirdre, put it with a laugh, “Once she got her license and a car, it was life-changing.”

The family moved to Denver during Weber’s junior year and she followed in Franklin’s arm strokes at Regis. Weber became a state champion in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. As a scholastic All-American, she found a collegiate fit at Virginia, which is known for its academic excellence and powerhouse swim team.

It was in college that elasticity vanished. Her confidence wavered as a freshman in 2022-23. School was hard, and Weber was surrounded by some of the nation’s best in every lane. This season, the pieces of the puzzle began to fit, began to make more sense.

She started trusting the program, trusting the coaching and learning from those around her. It became a source of strength.

“I tapped into all of it,” Weber said.

In October the idea of the Olympics came into focus. Taking time out of her college season, Weber clocked 1:08:13 at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, placing fifth.

“I knew then that I really wanted to make the Olympics,” Weber said. “We had so many Olympians from Virginia, and I wanted to be one of them.”

If there were any doubts whether she could pull it off, they were erased in San Antonio at the Pro Series in April. She turned in a time of 1:06.50, setting the stage for her eye-widening performance in Indianapolis.

“I think her situation was a little different than some others who made the team. She had nothing to lose and that is when you are most dangerous,” said Virginia and U.S. women’s swim coach Todd DeSorbo. “I don’t know if she would have been upset if she finished third or fourth, but she put herself in discussions for a berth at San Antonio. She was focused all season. I don’t think it was completely unexpected. There was excitement and happiness. She was surprised in the moment, but she also had confidence.”

Not much has changed for Weber over the last month. She has been practicing in Cary, N.C., with the national team. Her phone pings more frequently with friends and family from Colorado to Virginia thrilled with her accomplishment.

Make no mistake. She has earned this. After all the hours in the pool and in the car, Emma will always have Paris.

“I have never been. I want to take in the entire experience. I am not feeling nervous or stressed,” Emma said. “I want to enjoy this, build relationships and do my best .”

Added Deirdre, “It’s going to be a dream (for the family). Somebody is going to have to pinch me. All these years she told me she was going to the Olympics, and we had funny responses. Well, she did it. We are so proud.”

Emma in Paris

Emma Weber surprised herself by making the Olympic team. But her times showed she was quietly on the right path:

2023 Pan American Games: 1:08.13, fifth place

2024 Pro Swim Series, San Antonio: 1:06.50, second place

2024 Olympic Trials, Indianapolis: 1:06.10, second place

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