Keri Hehn returned home energized from her morning swim. The 1999 Fargo North graduate was unfazed by a 5 a.m. wake-up call, three grueling hours of training and the prospect of two more later in the day.
Hehn repeats the routine each day, six days a week. When it's over, she leaves the impression she's got enough left to run the Boston Marathon and scale Mount Everest.
And you get the feeling she just might try if given the chance.
Hard as it might be to believe, she's not superhuman or a glutton for punishment.
This drive, this relentless focus is the product of a childhood dream.
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And the dream is in sight.
"The most I take off is two weeks in the summer," said Hehn, who completed her collegiate swimming career this year at the University of Minnesota. "Sure, it gets tough sometimes. But my goal is to make the Olympics."
Hehn, who qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials last year, finished eighth-place in the 200-meter breaststroke at last summer's Phillips 66 Senior Nationals to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team.
She finished second in the 200 breastroke and fourth in the 100 breastroke in June at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Along with two other competitive meets later this year, Hehn is scheduled to represent the United States at the World University Games in South Korea in August.
It's all a tune up for next year's Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Calif.
Hehn, who competed at the 2000 Olympic Trials following her freshman year at the University of Nebraska, is hoping her experience will help her improve this time around.
Nothing less than a top-eight finish will do, she said.
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It's a realistic goal, considering the competition is likely to be similar to the Senior Nationals field.
Only the top two advance to the 2004 Olympics in Athens, however.
Even if she doesn't make it to Athens, a top-8 finish would likely earn Hehn a spot on another U.S. National Team competitive roster.
"They pick four different teams," Hehn said. "It would be an honor to be on any of them."
Hehn, who transferred to Minnesota following her sophomore year, is just 11 credits shy of a degree in nursing. The 22-year-old said she might take time off to train and return to school after the Olympic Trials.
As with all amateur athletes, so much of her competitive future depends on sponsorship and outside funding.
Hehn estimates her expenses prior to the Olympic Trials will be close to $6,000.
But, right now, nothing can make her lose sight of her goals.
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"I've always been very aggressive, very competitive," Hehn said. "Every year I've gained more experience, got more drive and got hungrier.
"I've worked very hard to get where I am."
It'll take even more to get where she hopes to be.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
