Open water or the pool, no battleground is difficult enough for 18-year-old Katie Grimes to rise to the top! Today, she reigns the first American woman to qualify for both these categories at the same Olympics. So for the swimming buffs out there, keep your eyes peeled for her in the 400m IM, 1500m freestyle, and the 10km open water events at Paris! But have you ever wondered who guides her through the ranks of glory?

Already an Olympian without coming out of her teen days, Grimes surely seems to have a seasoned guide steering her to success. Indeed, he is a level 5 ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association) swim coach, who has been with her since 12. And in the past six years, he has shaped her into a one-of-a-kind diamond!

Meet Katie Grimes’ coach, Ron Aitken

Approaching 30 years of coaching experience, Katie Gimes‘ coach Ron Aitken is one of the best to learn the nuances of this sport. A University of Nevada alumnus, he landed his earliest coaching stint, two years after his graduation in 1994. His X-factor? Well, having started with early enthusiasts, 8-year-olds and under, Aitken grasped the idea of incorporating fun elements in his coaching techniques. “I realized that kids needed to have fun because they weren’t gonna come to practice if they weren’t having fun,” he ideated, literally, starting his trajectory from the nitty-gritty.

Soon, his command over the position tightened, and by 1997, Aitken was ready to lead the Nevada Sandpipers as Head Coach. With time, his range of expertise started widening, especially, by taking over the Bishop Gorman High School swim team under his leadership in 1999.

And by 2021, a handful of his best swimmers, including Katie Grimes, were set to take a shot at the 2021 US Olympic Trials. But, being a unique star, she did not fit into his bracketed categories.

“She is so driven; I often find myself trying to downplay it for her so she doesn’t let it take over the ‘just have fun aspect’ of swimming.” But via his post-practice conversations, he taught her to balance her growth spurt. More so, when Grimes’ body grew during the 2020 summer, Aitken and her “spent weeks tearing apart my stroke, figuring out what made sense with my new height and longer arms and putting everything back together.”

National roles? Well, Aitken has them in plenty. Particularly, having been the USA National Team Coach 10 times, post his opening gig at the 2022 U.S. World Championships. Thus, many want to see the secret sauce behind Aitken’s success.

Aitken reveals how he guides his swimmers to success

Aitken’s pride and joy? Possibly the merits of pupils. Coach to athletes with 5 collective Olympic medals, the 4x USA Swimming Development Coach of the Year winner has trained multiple age divisions. These include Bella Sims, Claire Weinstein, Ilya Kharun, and, of course, Grimes. But his strategy for them all remains to develop versatility. For instance, while Grimes thrives in her signature 400m IM and 1500m freestyle races, he spotted potential in her 200m backstroke.

Moreover, apart from mega international meets, Aitken pinpoints smaller meets for his students to partake in sporadically. The rationale is, “Local meets are where my age group mentality comes in, where I want them to swim off races.”

He further mentions, “If my mindset is to train kids for the 500 free and the 400 IM, I need to make sure that they are improving in all four strokes. That’s why I make sure they’re doing the local meets, swimming events they’re not used to.” Also, he says he wants them to step out of their comfort bubbles.

Besides, Aitken also uses his incentive technique. You clock the best time in a category you don’t like, and the option of never returning to the event is open to you. Well, history says this works. Distances of more than 200m did not resonate with Ilya Kharun. However, when Aitken encouraged him to swim a distance of 500m, it did enhance his speed in the final 50m of races. What more? He makes his swimmers swim at varying altitudes, which helps them shine in normal conditions. Also, with his detailed analysis and ‘goal meetings,’ he shares his insights with the ones who have raised the bar.

Consequently, Aitken has a long list of pupil success narratives. Including Katie Grimes, who is off to her 2nd Olympics this month. Do you think Aitken’s guidance could direct her to a debut medal in Paris? Let us know below.