Two torchbearers walk through the streets of Carcassonne, France this summer. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The 2024 Summer Olympics is coming to a close this Sunday afternoon, but its impact may be felt for much longer around the world.

According to Flip N Cheer Gymnastics Xcel Director and Coach Patrica Lien, the Summer Olympic Games always leads to a noticeable rise in students at her Kearneysville-based business.

“When other kids see them, they want to do gymnastics, too!” Lien said. “Some children never see gymnastics being performed, until they watch the Olympics, so the Games really do a good job of awakening their interest in our sport. It definitely makes a difference for us.”

The same has proven to be true for other local sports organizations featured in the Summer Olympics. One such organization is the Eastern Panhandle Swim Club (EPSC) at Shepherd University’s Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center.

“The Olympics are fantastic and provide so many teaching moments,” said EPSC coach Tim Clayton. “Almost every Olympic athlete has overcome some kind of challenge to reach the highest level of their sport. And those are stories and lessons that we can talk to our kids about. Our swimmers learn to face challenges and overcome them in the pool and they can apply those lessons at school and in the rest of their life as they grow into adults.”

The Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Garden will continue to burn there until the closing ceremony on Sunday. Courtesy photo

Clayton and fellow head coach Erica Wheatley now co-own EPSC, which was previously known as the Sea Snakes Swim Team.

“The SUWC Sea Snakes started in 2015 and existed until the pandemic,” Clayton said of the team, which was previously owned by Shepherd University. “It restarted as a noncompetitive conditioning program, before becoming a full USA Swimming program in the fall of 2023.”

The program’s new status under the national governing body for swimming in the country will ensure its members have every opportunity to pursue athletic greatness.

“We compete against teams generally in the Mid-Atlantic area, with meets in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Our year-end focus is on our state meet in Morgantown. Last year we had multiple swimmers take the top three spots in the state and we’re looking forward to more this year,” Clayton said. “We have a variety of swimmers on our team — some are just starting out and others are competing for college scholarships. We are trying to give everyone the opportunity to pursue their goals at our program.”

According to some of EPSC’s members, watching the Summer Olympics has given them further determination to continue with their sport in the future.

“Seeing the way Olympic athletes do what they do inspires me to do what I do better,” said 15-year-old Caleb Burgos. “I love my team!”

Twelve-year-old Maddison Wolfe agreed with him.

“It makes me more excited to keep going through the tough times, because it will all pay off. And, one day, I will look back and see how hard I worked,” Wolfe said. “[The Olympics] has inspired me to keep pushing and always be humble.”

Wolfe and nine-year-old Bella Gray agreed that they have particularly enjoyed seeing more American women athletes succeeding at the Olympics, including Gretchen Walsh and Katie Ledecky.

“It makes me want to try harder to win at the swim meets!” Gray said. “I want to swim freestyle like Katie Ledecky!”

For EPSC assistant coach Beccah Nelson, these and the other swimmers at this year’s Olympic Games are leaving an even more important lasting impression than the economic one.

“Despite [being at] the highest level of competition, swimmers celebrate their successes with each other,” Nelson said, commending their sportsmanship. “At the end of races, I see swimmers from different countries congratulating and celebrating their successes together. This could be the most important race of their life and, even if they lose, they are turning to each other and supporting each other.”