FAYETTEVILLE -- Antonio Thomas has the same opportunity 115 other swimmers have Saturday when he enters the pool and competes at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb.
The former Haas Hall Academy standout and current Razorback Aquatic Club member would love to be his country's representative in the 1,500-meter freestyle when the Olympic Games take place next month in Rio de Janiero.
Thomas, however, was back in the place where it all began Monday morning. He took time from his rigorous training schedule to give lessons to younger swimmers at the Fayetteville Athletic Club, and it took him back to the time when he was their age and looked up to the older swimmers as role models.
"The people that you look up to when you're younger aren't that much older than you in real life," Thomas said. "It's just a matter of time when you're going to be in their shoes. When it comes to the Olympic Trials, the people I looked up to four years ago were people like Gage Crosby, Michael Haefner and Ellis Miller, who were all on our team and going off to college.
"When I was little, I looked up to the older kids and thought they were gods and they were amazing. I never thought I could do what they do, but now I'm in their shoes. I have to be a good role model for those looking up to me. That's why I coach and volunteer all this time to help the little kids and teach them lessons."
Thomas capped his high school career in February when he smashed the 500-yard freestyle record during the Arkansas High School Swim Championships in Bentonville. His time of 4 minutes, 26.13 seconds was more than 6 seconds faster than the previous mark set three years ago by Bryant's Minki Kang, who will be Thomas' teammate next season at Missouri State.
Since that time, Thomas has turned his attention to the 1,500 meters -- the longest race in the Olympic Trials and more than three times longer than the high school races. He qualified for the Trials by winning the event during the National Swim Club Association Spring Championships in Orlando, Fla.
"My mom (Stephanie) was a distance swimmer in college, so the genes kind of got passed down," Thomas said. "The training I've been doing is longer, endurance-based training. I do a lot more yardage than a lot of people on my team. While they are doing 100s, I'm doing 500s.
"Distance is what I've been swimming for a while. We've been high-intensity since my last meet, which was in March, and it's been no rest and just grinding it until about a week ago. We've now tapered off so I can recover from that high-intensity time and build that energy up."
All 1,500-meter participants will swim in prelims Saturday, with only the top eight advancing to Sunday's finals. Sunday's winner will earn the opportunity to join the U.S. team in Rio de Janiero.
While Thomas played the role of teacher for younger kids Monday, he acknowledges that Saturday's event will be a learning experience for him and something he can use and build upon in the event he doesn't make it to this year's Games.
"With this event, it's a 50-5o whether or not you have a good race that day or you're not on your pace," Thomas said. "I mean, I'm excited. My mind is open. If I make it, I make it, and if I don't, then I'll shoot for it next time. I'm going there this year to have fun.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and hopefully I'll do it again. That's my goal: to make the team in 2020. This is just dipping my foot in and getting to know everything about the Trials and that next level. I didn't think I would make it this far a year ago, and I'm happy to get to this point."
Sports on 06/29/2016