LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — This weekend, the Florida Elite Synchro Warriors head to Arlington, TX, for the National Junior Olympics synchronized swimming competition.
The team trains in Land O' Lakes, and they're usually in the pool by 6 a.m. They hope their long hours and hard work pay off in gold.
"Everyone’s been pushing themselves. Really good team camaraderie," Warriors head coach Camille Albrecht said after practice. "That’s something that our club strives for is to have a very supportive environment where everyone is happy to be here."
WATCH: Florida Elite Synchro Warriors head to Texas for their biggest competition
The team practices up to five hours per day, multiple times per week, so Albrecht said there's no questioning the "want-to" of this group.
"A lot of like, 'You can do this. You are very capable,'" she added. "You start small. You look at our season, and we slowly work up to what we’re doing now, and pushing them to their max ability. So much of it is letting them know that they’re capable of it."
18-year-old Melissa Cardoso said the grueling schedule is worth the payoff.
"It’s been tough because you train really long hours and all that stuff, but I think it’s always worth it in the end. So, I’m really excited for it," she grinned. Her duet partner, Aiden Gray, discovered the sport of synchronized swimming after a shoulder injury paused his lap swimming.
"It’s a very good balance between strength exercises and flexibility," he explained. "It keeps you super-balanced. I just, I love it."
Aiden's one of a growing number of young men and boys who are taking up the sport.
"It has different elements than a normal women’s duet," Aiden said when talking about the expansion he's seen. "It really adds an interesting perspective to the sport."
"I think it’s really cool," Cardoso added. "I think it’s very different, and it adds more variety to the sport. It’s more fun like that."
Aiden's younger brother, 11-year-old Hunter, is following in his footsteps. And he doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
"It’s been really fun and inspiring to go and watch someone else do it, and then try to go and do that, as well," he said after a five-hour practice.
Aiden said he takes just as much pride in his younger brother's success.
"Having him here, it’s always motivating me to show him the best that I can be, for him to be the best."
Hunter's duet partner, Gaby Torres, said that, despite being fairly new to the sport, Hunter's turned into a leader for the team.
"[Hunter's] a very good person. He really focuses a lot," she said when describing her friend. "And he keeps our team together when we’re not focused."
It sounds like Hunter's kept the right perspective all along.
"It’s been really fun. Because we’re working really hard, but we’re also making friends along the way," he said frankly.
The national competition begins Saturday and runs through July 2.
