Preston Jenkins, 15 of Richmond Hill High School, and Patricia Forrester, 14 of Savannah, have been chosen to participate in the National Select Camp, which is taking place this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo. at the Olympic Training Facility.

Both are members of Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team, which is coached by Olympic medalist and Savannah resident Bill Forrester.

Thirty female swimmers (age 13-14) and 30 male swimmers (age 15-16) were selected in the nation. According to www.usaswimming.org, Select Camps are an important step in the Olympic development process designed to prepare athletes for membership on USA Swimming National Teams.

"This is a tremendous opportunity and it takes an enormous amount of work and consistent training to get to this level," Coach Forrester said. "Preston and Patricia have consistently trained for many years, and I look for this prestigious camp to give them good direction toward taking the next step of joining a national team."

Forrester said both competitors have the goal of competing in the Olympic Games and have each reached a level that few get to.

"They’ve dedicated themselves year-round to the sport and done all the things right along the way, including the eating and sleeping habits that are demanded of top swimmers," Forrester said.

Jenkins, who was named Bryan County Athlete of the Month in February after acquiring three state titles and two state records, has remained active the last few months. This includes making it all the way to the consolation finals in the U.S. Junior National competition.