As the big sister and more seasoned swimmer, Alex Walsh has always enjoyed training with younger sister and fellow U.S. National team member Gretchen.

It’s something the sisters – separated by 18 months but just a year in school – started when they were very young and resumed 5 years ago when they became part of the same practice group.

It’s also something they did during the pandemic while their club pool was closed.

They were able to do some limited training/swimming in their neighbor’s backyard pool – pushing each other while supporting one another’s goals and dreams.

“It’s nice to have a training partner, someone who holds you accountable and you can also hold accountable, especially when she’s your sister,” said Alex, a recent high school graduate. “We’ve always looked out for each other, in and out of the pool, and that also means we’re competitive with each other. Fortunately, we compete in different events.”

The Walsh sisters will challenge that close relationship this fall when Alex leaves for her freshman year at the University of Virginia. Gretchen, a senior this year, will join her in Charlottesville in the fall 2021.

Between now and then, however, they are hoping they will get to swim together in a different pool and in a different country – at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

It’s a dream they’ve shared since they started swimming as youngsters, and Alex has a very strong feeling that, with another year to train and drop time, they will both be in a better position next summer at Olympic Trials to fulfill that dream.

“That dream has really become more of an opportunity over the past three years or so; before that, we talked about it but it didn’t feel real,” she said. “Now, with both of us on the National Team and swimming fast, we were both feeling confident about Trials this summer.

“Despite the interruption, we both know we have a better shot next year. I was disappointed at first when we learned that the Olympics and then Trials were postponed. But after a few days, we realized this was good for both of us.”

While she’s eager to make the trip east and north to Virginia (from Nashville, Tenn.) in a few months to start her new life as a Cavalier student athlete, it was just a few months ago that Alex’s senior year of high school was interrupted by the pandemic.

She missed out on many of the end-of-senior-year memories and activities, including a formal graduation ceremony (which was being planned for late June).

Alex continued to see and interact with friends via Facetime and other videoconferencing platforms, and once the shelter-in-place was lifted, she has been able to spend time with them this summer before everyone goes their separate ways for college.

At the time of this interview, she was planning to move to Charlottesville and attend class as usual with few or limited restrictions and also train with her new teammates – but that could change as she gets closer to her move-in date.

She’s just hoping, like she did the last few months of her last year of high school, that she doesn’t have to attend class online and miss out on the true college experience.

And then there’s swimming as a Cavalier.

“I’ll head to Virginia in August with a regular class schedule, but we’ll have to take necessary social distancing precautions and end the semester at Thanksgiving,” she said. “I’m expecting a regular swimming schedule as well. I’m excited about being a college student, living on my own and being a Cavalier.”

She said in addition to taking in the entire college experience, she’s also looking forward to working with head coach Todd DeSorbo and his staff to see how much time she can drop heading into Trials in Omaha next summer.

She’s most looking forward to the change in environment and training – expecting a rigorous, focused plan to help her improve in her specialty events, the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley.

Alex is also excited about having a full team of similar-level swimmers to push her during practice – something she gets from Gretchen every day but will miss once they go their separate ways this fall.

“Going into a new training regimen, I’m hoping to drop time and reach my true potential,” said Alex, who is leaning toward studying computer science or something in math and physics at Virginia.

Gretchen, who has also committed to swim at Virginia next year, said she is excited to see where her new coaching and training takes Alex over the next year.

“Based on how their team performed this year and past years, if I were Alex, I’d be very excited to train in Virginia, especially now that Olympic Trials have been postponed a year,” Gretchen said. “I honestly don’t think she can go wrong here. This experience will lift her to even faster times than she probably would have swam this year at Trials.”

Still, Alex – who brought home three gold medals (two individual, one relay) from the 2019 Pan American Games and was a double gold medalist at 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships – said she will be miss Gretchen this year but will be excited to welcome her to the Virginia family in 2021.

And as far as one or both of them making next year’s (or a future) Olympic team, it’s something they know they can and will always share and be happy for one another no matter what happens.

“We are competitive and we both hate to lose, but at the core of our relationship, we are sisters, and we have each other’s backs,” she said. “I always hoped (during her recruitment) that Gretchen would join me at Virginia to swim, so I tried really hard not to persuade or influence her decision.

“But I’m eager for her to join me, and I know she’ll be over a lot this year to visit, hang out with me, interact with the team and get more comfortable with the campus. It’s an exciting time for both of us – but next year should be even more exciting.”