Ever wonder what it feels like to watch a friend, loved one or teammate swim fast enough to make an Olympic team – regardless of pre-meet expectations? 

Is there a feeling of helplessness – knowing once they’re in the water, you can’t do anything to help them? Mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement – wanting them to do well and hoping that they will? 

During the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming presented by Lilly, NBC had focused on the people in the stands who have played roles in helping motivate, prepare and support their athletes as they swim to fulfill their Olympic dreams.  

For Katy Murphy, mother of three-time Olympian and multiple gold medalist Ryan Murphy, she said watching her son compete in the pool at various levels gets easier as time passes.

When he was younger and finding his way, she said it was nerve-wracking to watch his successes as well as shortcomings – each one paving the way to him becoming the champion that he is today.

But she also knows it’s important to support him – to be there, cheering, clapping and hoping (sometimes praying) that he is successful.

“It’s definitely easier now than it was in the early years,” she said during an interview with NBC Sports during Trials, ironically on her birthday. The Murphy’s, including Ryan’s dad, Pat, have traveled the world over the past decade cheering on their son. 

Hers is a feeling and action that all sports parents (and uncles, and brothers and sisters, and friends, teammates and coaches) acknowledge helps them know they did everything they could for their favorite athlete(s). 

On the first night of competition in Indianapolis, Gretchen Walsh’s parents, Glynis and Robert, witnessed their daughter set a new world record in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly and then return the next evening to make her first Olympic team. 

Older daughter Alex, a 2021 Olympic silver medalist, did the same later in the week when she finished second in the 200 individual medley. 

And who can forget the emotion expressed by 2016 Olympic gold medalist Melanie Margalis, now retired and pregnant, as she watched husband Nic Fink make his second Olympic team by winning the 100 breaststroke. 

When Regan Smith won the 100 butterfly, the first of her week’s victories, she thanked her mom, dad, stepmom and school swim coach – all in attendance – for helping her achieve a second Olympics. 

When Caeleb Dressel was in action, the camera would focus has been on his wife, Meghan, and four-month-old son, August (wearing noise-canceling headphones), anxiously cheering for him to make his third Olympic team and defend his 50 free and 100 fly titles.

For Kurt Weber, father of Emma Weber, who finished second in the 100 breast to earn a spot on the plane headed for Paris, watching his older child and only daughter in the water was thrilling while also nerve-wracking. 

“I was fine on semis and finals nights heading into the stadium and even felt pretty good when the meet started, but as soon as her event was announced, I was no longer calm and cool,” said Weber, who intends to make the trip to Paris with wife, Deirdre, to support Emma and the rest of the U.S. team. 

Kurt and son, Reid, who texted good luck vibes to his sister both nights (semis and finals) she competed precisely at 7:05 p.m., took superstition to high levels – even though it’s not necessarily something in which they believe. 

“I’m not superstitious by nature, but when she swam best times in prelims and then semis to make the finals, we did the same things each night,” Kurt said. “We wore the same color scheme (but not the same clothes), sat in the same seats and did some of the same things each night as to not disrupt something that was working in Emma’s favor. 

“That’s why Reid texted her at the same time each night. No sense changing things when they were working.” 

And while this was definitely the biggest meet of Emma’s life thus far – she competed at 2021 Trials and made the semis of the 100 breast and also made the finals in the event last summer at Pan American Games – Kurt said he may need to start a new set of regular activities “to help” Emma swim fast in Paris. 

All they really want is to see her swim well and enjoy the experience of swimming on the world’s biggest stage. 

And if they can help her a little bit, what’s the harm?

“We know we can’t actually do anything to help her except support her, cheer for her and love her before, during and after the race,” he said. “We do that every day. Watching her do so well in competitions like Olympic Trials makes it that much sweeter.

“Something we’ve all noticed more and more during these Trials is that it really takes a village to help these athletes succeed. We saw this after Emma’s semifinal. She was thirsty and hungry and tired. We were going to help her, but her Virginia teammates took over and took care of her. That’s how the swimming community is. We knew there was tremendous support, but this proved it’s at a level higher than we thought. It’s amazing to witness.”