A 17-year-old who will be competing at this summer's Pan American Games is a huge accomplishment in itself. Yet, swimming standout Markus Thormeyer remains focused on an even greater conquest.
"Rio de Janeiro (and the 2016 Summer Olympics) is the goal for me," confessed the Grade 12 South Delta secondary student.
"Making the Pan Ams was a stepping stone I needed to do. Now that I have made the team, it gives me more confidence going into next year's Olympic team trials."
Thormeyer still needed to swim the best race of his life to secure his spot in Toronto this summer.
At the recent National Trials, the Winskill Dolphin Swim Club member set a new Canadian age group record with a clocking of 55.37 seconds to earn silver in the 100 metre backstroke final.
He eventually secured one of 36 Pan Am Games spots on the line by placing second in the 200m back two days later. The competition took place at the new Pan Am Games Aquatics Centre where Thormeyer will be in Canadian colours less than three months from now.
"After the 100, I really couldn't celebrate because I had more races to do and they weren't naming the Canadian team until the last day of the meet," he explained. "My 200 result definitely helped me. I thought I had a good shot after that but you still never know.
"Last year at trials I was fourth (in the 100). I set my sights this year on working towards the podium and making the senior team. I just really worked hard for it."
Thormeyer has his eye on the current Olympic standard for the 100 back.
His new personal best is 1.5 seconds off - a gap he is confident can be closed over the next 12 months. He has broken down his swim in Toronto and can see where time can be made up.
"There were a lot of things good with that race but also a lot of things that could have been a lot better too," he said. "There are small things I need to work on like breakouts, my starts and my turns. Tightening those things are my biggest faults right now.
"I know what I need to do and so does my coach."
Thormeyer's family moved to Tsawwassen from Ontario when he was in Grade 6. Swimming has always been his passion and soon after he joined the Dolphins where he has been working with head coach Ben Keast ever since.
Thormeyer had older role models in Noemie Thomas and Luke Reilly who were well on their way to becoming national team swimmers. All three are now on the Pan Am Games team.
"Just knowing that they trained here and they could make it was something I could look up to," he recalled. "It showed me what hard work could do and that I could achieve my goals too."
It also didn't hurt Thormeyer would grow into what would be considered a perfect swimmer's body. He now stands at 6-foot-6 with a considerable wingspan. But the soft-spoken teen made it clear it doesn't all come naturally.
"I just accepted there are sacrifices you have to make to be a swimmer," he explained. "You can't go to every party and you can't let your grades slip. It's all about managing that and not letting failures in the pool effect your school work."
He enjoyed a rare week off after the National Trials when he got a chance to catch-up on his favourite pastime out of the pool - "watching Netflix."
He has resumed his regular training schedule that has him in the water five days a week, including morning and afternoon sessions three times.
His growing resumé includes competing at the 2013 Junior Worlds and last summer's Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
His performance in Toronto also earned him a spot in the 2015 Junior World Championships later this year in Singapore. It all adds up to Thormeyer being a nationally carded athlete which helps offset training and travel costs.
He has received plenty of scholarship interest from universities on both sides of the border and says he will be attending a school next fall. He just doesn't know where yet.
"I narrowed it down but still haven't made a decision. I need to make it pretty soon as everyone has been on me about it," he laughed. "It will be different but an exciting change for me.
"Whatever happens, I just need to keep moving forward and keep my eye on the goal."
That's being Brazil bound in 2016.
