Massachusetts teenager is first Dominican woman in Olympics swimming. A 15-year old swimmer from Northborough, Massachusetts, Dorian McMenemy, will be the first female to ever compete in the Olympics Games for the Dominican Republic. While she was born in the United States, her mother is Dominican and she has swum internationally for the Dominican Republic. She won the right to compete in the Games at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, where she ranked 36th in the 50-meter butterfly and 46th in the 100-meter butterfly. She will compete in the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympics. Last July, McMenemy swam for the Dominican Republic in Puerto Rico, where she broke several records. She is a freshman at Algonquin High School in Northborough, Massachusetts where she is also a competitive basketball player.





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AnaMaria Castellanos, 15, left, and Dorian McMenemy,14, practice at the JCC indoor pool for international swim competition. (T&G Staff/CHRISTINE PETERSON)


Monday, August 22, 2011

Pool pals
OLYMPIC COMPETITION IS TEENS' GOAL


By Donna Boynton TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
dboynton@telegram.com


Two local girls have Olympic dreams of swimming for far-away countries. Dorian McMenemy, 14, of Northboro, is working to earn a spot on the Olympic swimming team of the Dominican Republic, where her mother was born; AnaMaria Castellanos, 15, of Holden, wants to swim for her native country, Honduras.

The two girls met at a swimming pool at the Worcester Jewish Community Center. Despite their differing allegiances, they are in the same swim club and have spent the summer traveling the world competing, each hoping to gain a spot on an Olympic team. They train in Worcester, although their swim club, the Bluefish, is based in North Attleboro.

Both girls competed for their countries' teams in Puerto Rico in July. Shortly thereafter, they competed at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, described as the biggest international competition of the year, and regarded as the best indicator of success at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

AnaMaria has been swimming since she was 7. Born in Honduras, she is the daughter of two former Olympians - her parents, Claudia and Plutarco Castellanos were on the Honduras swim team in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Admittedly, she didn't like swimming at first. But the more she competed, the more she learned to love it.

She has been a member of the Honduras swim team for the past two years, and as she prepares for the Pan American Games in October, AnaMaria is in first place on her team. If she remains there, she could be poised to be on the 2012 Olympic team.

Her specialty is the breaststroke, and she excels in the individual medley.

"I keep trying to make better times in my competitions," AnaMaria said. "The competition is what keeps me going. When I'm swimming, it's just me competing against the clock."

This year, AnaMaria also competed in San Pedro, Honduras.

AnaMaria has a 2-year-old brother, Federico, and a 16-year-old brother, Pauparco.

AnaMaria met Dorian last year as they trained under the same coach, Mike Ross. Mr. Ross recently relocated to Atlanta, and both girls are trying to find a new coach.

Dorian has been swimming since she was 7, and her talents as a swimmer were quickly identified.

"I just loved swimming," said Dorian, who has been swimming for half her life. "When my parents would ask me to do something, I'd rather be swimming."

Dorian swims competitively for most of the year. Dorian's specialty is the 100-meter and 50-meter butterfly.

Coach Ross suggested Dorian join the Dominican Republic team. Dorian's mom, Luisa McMenemy,
said she and her husband, Ron, encouraged Dorian's swimming to keep her active.

"I was excited because I could swim against other Olympic swimmers," said the 14-year-old, who will be a freshman at Algonquin Regional High School this year.

"As her mother, I always knew she had talent, but I never expected this," Mrs. McMenemy said. "We're very proud of her."

In Puerto Rico, Dorian broke competition and team records for the butterfly. It was because of her performance in Puerto Rico, that she was recommended to go on to Shanghai, Mrs. McMenemy said.

"I was very excited to be there (in China). When I saw the pool, I was amazed at how big it and the stadium was," Dorian said. "I was very nervous before the race. I came to the water, and there were all these lights. It was a good experience because when I was swimming in my races, I knew I was competing against the best."

Dorian practices at least two hours a day, five days a week, and then for a longer period of time on either day of the weekend. When she is in the water, she is "in the zone" - able to tune out the surrounding environment, and focus on her stroke.

"My friends can't believe how good I am, but I've been so busy I don't see them a lot and I miss them," Dorian said, adding that she has been hanging out with her friends for the past few weeks before school - and practice - starts again.

Dorian is now focused on improving her times in the hopes of making the Dominican Republic Olympic swim team in 2012.

"I truly believe if she doesn't make it this year, she will be ready in four years," Mrs. McMenemy said.

Dorian lives in Northboro with her parents, and three sisters, Rachel, 10, who also swims for the Bluefish; Katia, 6; and Lena, who is just a week old, born last Sunday.

Born, raised and trained in the USA.

Will swim for the Dominican Republic.

Ungrateful Bitch! One of the reasons that the Olympics have become a joke.

Welcome to the 21st century. Are you not aware or has anyone told you that the world in now really a globalized society and this process already started a long time ago ? Perhaps we can consider Columbus as the first man, the pioneer who open the door to primitive globalization.

Globalization is happening in all areas and disciplines and not just in sports. Just to give one example is science and technolgy. Albert Einstein came to visit the United States in 1933, and did not go back to Germany, where he had been a professor at the Berlin Academy of Sciences. He settled in the U.S and became a US citizen in 1940 and the rest is history.

Another example are Indian and Pakistani in particular computer engineers. The US is full of them most who have remained and never gone back. The same goes to Cuban baseball players who stay and play for the major leagues. Are you going to call them ungrateful ? I know Castro thinks so. What is good for the geese is good for the gander.

Sport athletes are constantly being traded from one team to the next, even after spending years playing for their home teams, all of a sudden head on to another city to play. LeBron James became the third reigning NBA MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982.

We had and continue to have thousands of Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Cuban, Venezuelans baseball professionals and amateurs, leave their respective countries to play for US teams. If it is OK for them why then could it not be acceptable for a sweet little 15 year old that is simply swimming for the love of the sport rather then the money and when all done will head straight back home anyway.

Honor knows no boundaries.

And this woman has no honor!

The biggest loser is the D.R.

She will get a free trip to London on the D.R.'s dime then head back to the US with any limited endorsement $$$ she might get.

All the D.R. gets is a few milliseconds of false patriotism and pride cheering her on when in fact they are being played for fools.

Your opinion is accepted. I disagree, but understand your point. Nevertheless, no need to call her a bitch.

Her age is the only reason I didn't call her what I really wanted to call her.

Why is that ungrateful? You are so ridiculous saying that about this kid. I doubt if she will be able to make the U.S. Olympic team given the competition here in the States. She has an opportunity to make a dream come true swimming for the D.R., no matter how well she does, she will be famous and remembered for being the 1st Dominican.

Swimming as an American, not a person will remember within 2 wks after the Olympics are over with. I applaud her for the decision to swim for the D.R., Im certain her mother is proud of her as well. By the way, does anyone know what nationality her father is, she looks Black to me, but then again Im "one dropping" her. B4E!!!!!!!!!!!

.....what nationality her is father.........

Why ?................

good for her. we have plenty of great athletes.

I agree that there is no reason to call her a bitch. You don’t know her. She’s a really nice, caring person. Stop judging her. I know her; she currently swims on my team, which happens to be Evolution Aquatics. She’s in the sport because she loves it; not because she might get an endorsement.