• Tweet
• Share
• Email
• Print

Two people who grew up in the Coachella Valley will be competing in the London Olympics.
Sarah Robles lived in Desert Hot Springs, she will be on the U.S. women's weightlifting team.
And Palm Springs resident, Lynette Lim, will swim in her second Olympics for Team Singapore.
Here in the Coachella Valley, some young athletes tell KMIR6 the Olympic Games inspires them to dream big.

12-year-old Hailey Murdica makes it look easy... swinging on the high bar, balancing on the beam and sailing into a beautiful landing.
But she has been training since she was five years old.
Hailey is a three-time state champion.
"It takes a lot of dedication, you have to sacrifice some things, but when you get that all around gold medal it feels so good, you know that everything that you did, pays off," said Murdica who trains at PowerKids Center on the Aftershock Gymnastics Team.
Nine-year-old Nancy Kiner also has taken home gold medals.
She has done gymnastics since she was just one year old, and calls it her second home.
"I like the flipping, and the trying to hard you can't go anymore but you still go anyways," said Kiner, who is also on the Aftershock Gymnastics Team.
Swimming is another sport that takes a lot of endurance, and hard work.
"Me and a couple friends here, we swim really hard, we push each other like every single day. Our eventual goal is going to be going to the Olympics."
16-year-old Jack Mcgrath swam at the Junior Olympic Qualifiers.
Swimming legend Michael Phelps is an inspiration for him.
"Michael he inspired me a lot, growing up when I was about six years old I would watch the Olympics, like this is so cool I can't wait to do this, and when I'm finally able to do it, I'm like I'm going to beat him, he's going to be the guy that I want to beat," said McGrath, who competes with the Palm Desert Swim Club.
Palm Desert Swim Club's head coach, Bob Krom, is training these Olympic hopefuls.
"Once they get it and they learn that hard work is fun, they start dropping their times and understanding that concept that it's not all about ribbons and medals, it's about having fun, getting the rewards of how you feel inside," said Krom.
And back in the gymnasium, the Aftershock Gymnastic coach, Alison Vaughn, says she can see these girls reaching Olympic heights.
"I think that if kids have the spirit, the drive, the fire in them to train for the Olympics, it's always something that we want to pursue, so absolutely, you can see them doing whatever they dream of," said Vaughn, one of the owners of PowerKids Center.
We asked Nancy if she dreams of going to the Olympics.
"Yes I do, I would love to be in them," said Nancy.
Hailey watched the Olympic tryouts, and can't wait until her chance in just four more years.
"I can absolutely see myself doing them, it's just so inspiring to see them doing what I've always wanted to do, I mean Olympics is every little girl's dream," said Hailey.
So she will train, train, compete and train some more, to someday go for Olympic gold.