Patricia Forrester - 2013
Patricia Forrester will be remembered as one of the most accomplished swimmers ever to grace the waters of the Chatham County Aquatic Center. She began swimming competitively at the age of 5 and by the time she was 12 she won a Georgia state age group championship in the 50-meter freestyle at the Georgia Long Course State Championship. By the time she was 14, she was breaking state records in her signature stroke – the butterfly. At 15, she was selected to attend the National Select Camp at the US Olympic Training Center and competed at the national level for the first time. She was a member of the National Club Swimming Association 18-Under All American team and won a gold medal representing the US in a meet against the Japan junior swimmers. As a senior in high school, Patricia competed at US Olympic Trials in the 200-meter and 100-meter butterfly and won a Georgia High School Association state championship in the 100-yard backstroke. She was ranked the No. 2 female swimming recruit in the state and signed a swimming scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee. Her resolve to succeed combined with her accomplishments at the local, state, regional and national levels will make her a memorable member of Savannah’s swimming history.