Swimming

U.S. Olympic Trials Pool Will Fill ‘Dire Need’ for Water Space in Fort Wayne After Relocation

May 23, 2024

The U.S. Olympic Trials swimming pool will be relocated to Fort Wayne after the quadrennial qualifying event next month, filling a “dire need” for more water space in Indiana’s second-biggest city.

With a population of more than a quarter million, Fort Wayne currently has just one aging 50-meter pool shared by nine high school teams and a couple club programs. The state capital of Indianapolis (population 880,000), by comparison, boasts 16 50-meter pools.

John Gibson, owner of the Fort Wayne Swim Team and a founding member of the Fort Wayne Swim & Wellness Alliance (FWSWA), says the few facilities offering swim lessons in the area are forced to turn away hundreds every session. With so much demand, some parents are even renting out their backyard pools for swim lessons this summer.

“We haven’t built a new competitive pool in over 20 years,” said Brian Hench, a swim parent and FWSWA board member. “We’ve built one small YMCA 25-yard pool in the last 10 years. Our population in Fort Wayne has grown by 20% over that same time.”

The non-profit FWSWA is busy fundraising to construct a new facility around the relocated Olympic Trials pool that can host major competitions. With another “zero entry” pool for lessons and therapy, Hench said the facility is expected to add 40% more water than currently exists in Fort Wayne, alleviating pressure on other local pools and allowing them to make room for more programming options.

“Our goal is to make it both a world-class competition facility — because we know, being in the competitive swimming world, what that could mean for the community and the economics — but we also want it to be a day-in, day-out benefit for our community to be able to use for their wellness,” Hench said.

An economic impact study conducted by Purdue University Fort Wayne indicated the aquatic facility could bring $18-21 million annually to the surrounding area. In Greensboro, North Carolina (population 302,000), the Greensboro Aquatic Center generated $182 million in added economic activity in its first decade since opening in 2011. Not only will Fort Wayne seek to host collegiate and pro swim meets, but the city also plans to bid for major Para competitions in partnership with the Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities, the fourth-largest Paralympic sports club in the country.

When the U.S. Olympic Trials conclude a month from now, the steel-panel skeleton of the pool will be deconstructed and delivered to Fort Wayne in four semi trucks. The materials will then be stored at a warehouse until the facility is ready. Fortunately for the FWSWA, a Fort Wayne Swim Team parent is taking care of all the trucking and warehousing for the project. Funds have already been raised to purchase the pool, but fundraising is ongoing for the facility at fwswim.org.