The 2008 Olympic Trials for swimming in Omaha proved that Team USA is going to be hard to beat this year.  With many returning Olympic competitors, other countries competeing should be sure to watch out for Team USA.  One competitor in particular who caught my interest is Dara Torres.

Dara Torres is a 41 year old mother of one who recently won both the 100m freestyle and 50m free sprints in the Olympic Trials (Wow! A 41 year old mom swimming in the Olympics? Awesome, I know!)  She is joining the USA team again, already holding nine previous medals, hoping to claim three more this year in Beijing.  Torres will then become the first American to swim in five Olympics.

Suspicion, although, on whether or not Torres is what they call a 'doper' has been rising since the trials. Many people have been challening her to prove she is clean, but she shouldn't have to prove it.  Torres should be celebrated for her accomplishments, instead of being questioned on using drugs.  Torres has volunteered for an Anti-Doping Agency, and has many times openly volunteered to be drug tested.  If she is a 'dirty athlete' then why would she choose to be tested on numerous occasions?  That is what I don't understand.

So here's the reason why I'm writing this for high school playbook.  Sure, it isn't about a high school event, but who doesn't love the Olympics?  And if there are students out there who are serious about playing sports and hope to one day pursue a career in athletics, then they should really know about this.  Drug use and steroid use in athletics is serious business.  If you're going to go far, you need to work hard at it yourself, not with the help of substances such as dope and steroids.  Many athletes can easily claim that they are substance free, and for the future athletes of my generation, they should be able to say that they too will be clean.