Nicole Frank, a 17-year-old swimming star from Uruguay, was shocked to learn that she had been selected for the Tokyo Olympics.This thought took 81 years to come about.Frank's grandmother Angelika Rdche was qualified to swim for Germany in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events at the 1940 Helsinki Olympics. Rdche, a Uruguayan national, was living in Germany at that time.A few days later, World War II broke forth. The Olympics were cancelled.She survived the war and was able to return home to Uruguay with her husband, where they raised their family and led a happy and fulfilled life. She couldn't get over the fact she didn’t participate in the Olympics.Rdche began telling her granddaughter stories after Frank was born in 2003. She shared with her her love of training, how her brain was always hungry for more, and how her eyes lit up when she was about compete.Frank was a firm believer in every word that his grandma spoke. She loved water and would spend hours in the pool every day. Although she took gymnastics lessons from her mother, she chose a sport when she was 10. She chose swimming without a second thought. She wanted to complete the work her grandmother started in 1940."I loved the water. My family's legacy in this sport was something I treasured. She said that she loved the chance to fulfill my grandmother's dream.Frank's grandmother didn't force her to do what she wanted on Frank, nor her brother, who was also a swimmer. However, Frank could sense the undercurrent of a lost dream, or a missed chance.Rdche would go with her brother and sister to training and meets, and would ask for all the details.Frank's grandmother Angelika Rdche was a qualified athlete for the 1940 Olympics, but she never participated due to the outbreak of World War II. Frank familyRdche would hear Frank tell Frank, "Grandma! I'm going to be in the national team very soon!" She did it a few months later. She broke her first national record at age 13 in the 200-meter individual Medley. She had also set national records in the 200- and 400 meter freestyles at age 15.Frank never broke those records, but Rdche did not see it. She fell ill in January 2016 and died at the age of 85.Frank was devastated but her grandmother's stories, and her unfinished dream propelled Frank forward.Frank originally intended to make her Olympic debut in Paris 2024, but after setting national records, she realized that she could be a contender for Tokyo Olympics. In June, she was awarded a FINA grant, and she moved to the USA to train. She qualified to represent Uruguay in Monday's 200-meter individual Medley.She's likely to compete in Paris's freestyle events. She also began swimming Rdche's 800-meter freestyle a few months back. She loved the hard work and the feeling of exhaustion after finishing. Frank stated that she hopes to be able to compete in all the events her grandma participated in.She said, "It's unbelievable that I'm here." "Grandma would be laughing if she knew that I'm here. She would be so happy."Paris 2024 was always Frank's goal. But Frank did it better than her grandmother Cecilia. Cecilia spoke through an interpreter.Cecilia stated, "She didn’t make it for herself." "She did it for her entire family, especially her grandmother."
