You, as I, might wonder how it feels to win a world championship at age 17. That’s what Mississippian Rachel McAlpin did Wednesday winning the 50-meter breaststroke gold medal at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania, nearly 6,000 miles from hometown of Brandon.
“It feels really cool, honestly,” young McAlpin replied in a phone call Thursday afternoon. “It truly is a blessing.”
And then McAlpin apologized for sounding hoarse, not because she is sick, but because, as she put it, “I’ve been cheering so hard all day and night for all my Team USA teammates.”
One of those teammates is Charlotte Crush of Louisville, Kentucky, the 17-year-old daughter of Mimi Bowen, formerly a highly competitive swimmer for the Jackson Sunkist swim program. Crush Thursday won the 100-meter backstroke gold medal. Said McAlpin, “We’ve become really good friends. Charlotte is an incredible swimmer and person.”…