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cavalier profile KATYA BACHROUCHE Alum • Swimming Raising children seems to get more and more challenging each year, perhaps every day. When your child does right by the values that you have instilled in them, one's heart is indeed filled with joy. It can certainly be said that Katya Bachrouche has made her family proud. After a productive four-year swimming career for the Cavaliers, culminating in two honorable mention All-America accolades, the 22-year-old from Farmington Hills, Mich., has been selected for Lebanon's National Team, representing her father's home country. Bachrouche has already competed in three meets representing Lebanon and is now training for the 2012 Olympic Games. "I always had the dream of going to the Olympics," Bachrouche said. "I thought 30 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER about trying to swim for Lebanon since high school, but I had other things to focus on and hadn't really developed into the swimmer I am today." Having had dual citizenship since she was very young, she was able to make the trip overseas and meet the right people to make it happen. She recently competed in the Pan Arab games and won four gold medals (in the 200-meter individual medley, and the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle) along with two bronze medals (50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly). "At the Arab games, I received a lot of attention," Bachrouche said. "It was a much smaller field of competition than most international meets. There were only 120 athletes there. In winning four golds, I received more and more attention." Bachrouche is currently training six days a week back in Charlottesville, primarily focusing on 400 and 800 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. The butterfly is, "Just for fun!" It sure will be fun to look for this determined athlete in the pool at the 2012 Olympics in London. — Sean Corso ◆ Photo courtesy UVa