Young Swimmer Excels At First Special Olympics

Fourteen-year-old rising Severna Park High School freshman Ellie Ochalek stood atop the Olympic podium not once but four times on June 12 at the Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games, held at Towson University’s Burdick Pool. At her first Special Olympics competition, Ellie earned gold medals in relay and two freestyle distances, as well as a bronze medal in backstroke.

“We put her in the pool at 6 months old, and she’s been swimming ever since,” said her mother, Lauren Ochalek, adding that Ellie so loved the water that she began private lessons at 3 years old.

“Swimming makes me feel really good. I like to learn strokes, my teachers, and swimming with friends,” Ellie said. “And I like to go fast.”

And fast she is! The petite swimmer led in her races from the moment her head popped up from the water after her initial entry dive. Her reaction to winning was her classic Ellie response. She “smoked ‘em!”

Ellie first started working on stroke technique at a young age with her father, Aaron, a former all-American swimmer at the United States Naval Academy. She also swam for the Oakleigh Forest swim team before participating in the SEALS program at Severna Park Community Center.

The SEALS is a unique program offering adaptive aquatic lessons for children and adults with special needs to promote water safety, physical fitness and emotional health via basic swimming lessons through a competitive team. Last summer, the group formed and began training a Special Olympics team to represent Anne Arundel County. The always-competitive Ellie was all in.

“The SEALS coaches are phenomenal. For one straight hour, they’ve got the swimmers doing drills to improve stroke technique,” Lauren said. “Ellie thrives in competition and discipline. We could not ask for better coaches.”

Maile Johnson is one of the SEALS coaches. A former competitive swimmer and Severna Park High School alumna, Johnson recently completed a doctorate in physical therapy, a discipline that enhances the swim experience for adaptive individuals.

“It’s people like Ellie that make me love coaching. She’s the perfect athlete and teammate,” Johnson said. “She is disciplined and competitive. She comes to the pool ready to work hard and ready to learn and improve. But most of all, she’s the one supporting her teammates the loudest, clapping and yelling encouragements.”

Ellie admitted that she was a little nervous before her Olympic debut, but once she was at the pool, her jitters were replaced with excitement, her trademark smile, and confidence. With four races back to back, any athlete would be exhausted, but not Ellie. “Zero!” was her reply when asked how tired she was after her big day.

The fact that she was swimming at all was remarkable. “Ellie has overcome an enormous number of medical issues this year,” Lauren explained. “She spent a week in the Johns Hopkins pediatric intensive care unit in October, so for her to compete and be so successful was truly nothing short of a miracle.”

Ellie and her family celebrated her achievements and the beginning of summer with a family vacation in Cape Cod, where she traded lane dividers and chlorine for jumping in salty waves. If there is water nearby, Ellie is there.

The reigning Olympic champion loves musical theater when not in the water. She will spend her summer training with the SEALS to prepare to defend her titles next summer at the Special Olympics Maryland 2027.

To learn more about the SEALS program at Severna Park Community Center, visit www.spcommunitycenter.org/s-e-a-l-s. For questions about the program or to support the program, contact Shelly Beigel at 410-647-5843 or sbeigel@spcommunitycenter.org.