Kaitlyn swims in the lane

Kaitlyn Earle, 10, of Hobe Sound started swimming less than nine months ago, according to her father, Randy Earle; yet she’s already qualified to swim in a Junior Olympics swim meet .

The Hobe Sound Elementary School fifth grader swims in the Elite group for the Jupiter Dragons swim team. At the Florida Gold Coast Junior Olympic Short Course Championship swim meet last March in Coral Springs—in front of 700 spectators from throughout Florida and the Caribbean—Kaitlyn swam the back stroke in the 200-yard inter-medley relay and the third leg of the freestyle in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

The Jupiter Dragons relay team finished 12th in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Kaitlyn had the fastest split time of the four swimmers, swimming her 50-yard leg in 33.5 seconds. The Dragons jumped up two more places to finish 10th in the inter-medley relay.

Hard work and commitment (as well as dedicated parents, Randy and Stephanie Earle) obviously contributed to Kaitlyn’s early success. The young swimmer trains five days a week at the North County Aquatic Complex in Jupiter.

For more information about the Jupiter Dragons Swim team, visit their website at jdswim.com.