CLERMONT, Fla. — For athletes aiming for Olympic gold, where they train is crucial.
In Clermont, Florida, thousands of athletes over decades have made their way to the town, seeking to shave even tenths of seconds off their times.
Especially in track and field, athletes who have trained at the Orlando Health National Training Center in Clermont have been so successful that their reputation is seared into the town’s logo: Choice of Champions.
Clermont, a town of 40,000 people, sees its population boosted by athletes traveling from all over the world to train at an elite center.
Marty Shirley, director of operations for the Orlando Health National Training Center, showed WPTV around the internationally rated facilities, including a long and short-course Olympic pool designed with swimmers’ speed in mind. He said it was designed to be deeper and absorb waves to improve times.
Shirley also highlighted that the track was designed with speed in mind, and many runners can vouch for its effectiveness after finding Olympic success.
“I would say we have had a lot of people who have been very, very fast,” Shirley said.
Established in 2001, the NTC was initially a dream facility for triathletes.
“It’s the same pool that athletes swim in for the Olympics,” Shirley said.
However, the topography of Clermont is also an attraction. It’s hilly, which benefits cross-country athletes. There are lakes and long trails that assist triathletes. The nice year-round weather helps too, with Shirley counting at least 320 sunny training days yearly.
“If you’re a triathlete and want to swim in the lakes but want to take a break because 'I don’t want to be chased by an alligator,' I’m going to jump into the pool down here and swim,” Shirley laughed.
The track athletes have been bringing home the hardware.
Evan Gregory coaches athletes with Pure Athletics, training runners on the NTC track.
“We’ve got pretty much the world’s talent for the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter,” Gregory said. He’s personally coached dozens of Olympians, including some competing in Paris.
“Noah Lyles, Wade Van Niekerk, Jareem Richards, we’ve got Junelle Bromfield,” Gregory listed.
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Following the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, athletes who trained in Clermont took home 10 medals. Training in a similar climate and time zone made Clermont a desirable training location.
For Gregory, training athletes in Clermont is about more than Olympic pride. It’s about putting his hometown on the map.
“This is where I was born and raised, so to see this happen here... I’m still processing it, I think, 10 years later.”