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Kiera Aitken isn't your average Olympic hopeful, having already competed in the 2004 Olympics; she is headed back to the pool in Beijing to make a splash. The 24-year-old started competitive swimming at age seven and has since made her mark in the pool both locally and internationally.

Aitken holds the Bermuda national records in 50, 100, and 200 backstroke and 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 freestyle short course. Her long course records are in 50, 100 and 200 backstroke and 50, 100, and 200 freestyle. Aitken's accomplishments include impressive finishes in top-flight international competitions: finals at the 2003 Pan American Games, and semi-final finishes at the 2002, 2006 and 2007 Commonwealth Games.

She has won many gold, silver and bronze medals and has set several records at the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships and the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships.

Kiera's swimming resume includes competition in 2003, 2005 and 2007 World Championships and winning her heat at the 2004 Olympic Games.

To round it all off, she landed the title of Bermuda's Female Athlete of the Year in 2004.

With such accolades, one would expect a big ego but Aitken proves to be humble and resilient: "My mindset for these games is the same as it is when I go into any big international competition, including the Olympics in Athens. I remind myself that I'm not going to be doing anything that I haven't done before and I can't let myself get overwhelmed."

Aitken is not only an accomplished athlete but also a scholar, with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Dalhousie University. She is currently residing in Barcelona, learning to speak Spanish and continuing to swim. She trains under coach Joan Giralt of the Club Natación Barcelona: "It is very difficult for me to train in Bermuda to be able to compete at the level that I would like." When in Bermuda, Aitken trains under Kathy Cowen of the Dolphin Swim Team.

Unlike many other countries' athletes, Bermudian swimmers receive minimal funding from the Bermuda Amateur Swim Association (BASA) and at their [BASA's] discretion, rather than directly from the government.

Usually financial support from the local governing body comes in the form of expense coverage for competitions such as travel, accommodation and swimsuits.

Kiera is especially grateful for the financial assistance she has received from family and friends, particularly one friend who has been markedly generous this year.

Her training schedule is more than a little demanding, calling for morning training Monday through Saturday, three or four afternoon sessions a week and trips to the gym. She explains it requires a combination of self-motivation and routine: "Most mornings I just get up and go to practice and don't even think about it... I told myself that this is what I need to do to get what I want, so it starts out as making a choice at the beginning of the season when I'm feeling really motivated and then sticking to this routine and not giving myself any other options."

Although the schedule is rigorous, Aitken realizes that "in the end I know that I am going to have to take responsibility for the results... I want to be able to look back and say that I really tried." She has already shaved about half a second off of her time in Athens racing the 100 backstroke.

Going into these games, she has a cool confidence: "Of course I'm going to be nervous but I feed off this feeling when I perform. If I don't feel it then it is because the event doesn't matter that much to me and if it doesn't matter then I will never be able to keep pushing myself when it starts to hurt in the middle of the race.

"My goal for these games is to swim a personal best time. That is all that I can hope for."

For young athletes with big Olympic dreams, Aitken shares some advice before diving into the Olympic pool for the second time: "It's great to have a big dream like going to the Olympics, but what is really important are the small goals that you set for yourself to get you through each season, each meet or even just each day."

After the Games, there is no stopping Aitken: "I plan to keep swimming next season with my team in Barcelona. I am enjoying it there and I feel like I have more to give in this sport. I don't know how many more years I will continue to compete, but for now I will just take it one season at a time."[[In-content Ad]]

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