Dara Torres, 41-year-old mother, clinched a spot at her fifth Olympic Games with an inspiring win in the 100 metres freestyle at the US trials in Omaha, Nebraska and will also attempt to make the team for the 50 freestyle.
Battling the odds of age and a body that requires hours of massage, stretching and testing after every race and workout, the evergreen Torres said she had not expected to win the 100 freestyle, and was not even sure she had.
"But it really, really, really hurt. I didn't think it was going to hurt that bad. I kept thinking, where is the wall.
"I know how my body feels right now. I can only imagine what it is going to feel like in the morning," she added.
To put thinkgs into context, Torres won the first of her nine Olympic medals at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, before modern-day swim star Michael Phelps was even born.
"Dara, I call her my mom," said Phelps after watching Torres ignite the near capacity crowd at the Qwest Centre pool with her stunning victory.
"What is she 41, with a kid... it's extremely impressive to have her come out here and win the 100 free tonight. It's going to be fun."
Mother figure
Torres, who became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic medal when she won two bronze at the Sydney 2000 Games aged 33, will add another milestone to her career in Beijing where she will become the oldest American swimmer to compete at an Olympics.
The mother of a two-year-old daughter may be perfectly suited to fill the role of 'Olympic team mother' but would be happier if she were considered more of an older sister.
"I would prefer to be known as a big sister to my team mates, although I am as old as some of their parents," smiled Torres, who has also recently posed for photoshoots for a men's magazine.
"It's nice to be able to be there for the kids if they have questions.
"I feel like on their level but on the other hand I have a lot of experience."