STATE SWIMMING: Memory of ‘big brothers’ fuels Gaels’ Barker

Ron Aitken’s worst fear was that Olivia Barker would quit.

“There’s two directions I feel you can go in when you lose a close friend like that,” said Aitken, Bishop Gorman’s swimming and diving coach and Barker’s stepfather. “My main concern was, I didn’t want her to give it all up.”

Barker finishes her stellar high school career at the Division I state meet today in Carson City and will depart as one of the top female swimmers in state history. But it’s been an emotional journey over the past two years for Barker, who was deeply affected by two deaths that rocked the local swimming community.

“It’s definitely something that always sticks with me,” she said.

Former Palo Verde student Jay Sirat, the Sunset Region record holder in the 50-yard freestyle, was 18 when he was found asphyxiated in the garage of his family’s home on March 25, 2011. In the aftermath, his family has waged a public campaign warning about the dangers of the synthetic drug “bath salts.”

Andrew Chin, who also attended Palo Verde, was on summer leave from the Air Force Academy when he died June 19 at age 20. The Clark County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a suicide.

Barker swam with Sirat and Chin as a member of the Sandpipers of Nevada, a club program headed by Aitken.

“They were practically my big brothers,” Barker said, unsuccessfully fighting back tears. “They always wanted to see me reach my goals and do the best that I could do. Doing that this weekend for the last time in high school is important to me.”

Aitken said Chin’s death was especially difficult since she was closer to the aspiring doctor. The news also came a few days before Barker and other area swimmers left for Omaha, Neb., to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials. It was then that Aitken prepared himself in case Barker said she never wanted to swim again.

“It was one of those things where you’re walking on eggshells as a parent,” Aitken said.

On the first day of the trials, Barker struggled in her heats of the 100-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley, but she bounced back four days later to finish 12th in the 200-meter butterfly.

“When I swim, I try to swim for them, too,” Barker said. “They always told me not to give up on my dreams.

Even though the first two events totally sucked, I wanted to reach my goals because of what they told me.”

Barker enters today’s meet as the top qualifier in the 100-yard butterfly (54.78) and 200 individual medley (2:04.08). After not competing in a racing suit at the Sunset Region meet, the six-time individual state champion is aiming to lower her state-meet record in the butterfly and break the record of 2:03.4 in the IM, although it could be difficult at altitude in Carson City.

She also will try to lead the Gaels to their fourth consecutive team title.

“My times are better now than they were at this time last year, so I know I’m improving,” Barker said.

Barker is slated to swim in the national championships and world championship trials June 25 to 29 in Indianapolis, followed by the U.S. Open on July 30 to Aug. 3 at Irvine, Calif., and the junior nationals Aug. 5 to 9, also at Irvine.

This fall, Barker will head to Indiana, where she is expected to contend for the Big 10 title in the butterfly events as a freshman. She will be reunited with rising senior Cody Miller, a former teammate of Sirat and Chin at Palo Verde and with the Sandpipers.

“It’s been wonderful to have her in all aspects of life,” Aitken said. “As a coach, father and at Bishop Gorman. I don’t think we could do any of the stuff we’ve done without her.”