WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Olympic Games in Paris are just days away with some of the first soccer and rugby matches starting Wednesday.
WPTV's Frances Peyton caught up with artistic swimmer Daniella Ramirez, a Miami native, who is ready to experience the games for the first time.
"I remember always loving it," Ramirez said. "Like I was just a fish ... I just wanted to be at the pool, and I just wanted to be doing what my sister was doing and just copying everything that she did."
Ramirez looked up to her sister, mother and grandmother who all were artistic swimmers.
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"My mom actually coached me up until I was 15 when I left for California," Ramirez said. "My sister would sometimes come home and like help me with stuff."
The 22-year-old grew up in Miami and trained at Coral Springs Aquacades. Back then the Olympics were a dream hard to fathom. Team USA didn't compete in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro because there weren't enough women and then failed to qualify in Tokyo.
"It is hard to reach for something when you don't even know what it looks like," Ramirez said.
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For the Paris Games, Ramirez and her teammates' goal is to stay focused.
"We set a lot of internal goals for ourselves," Ramirez said. "I think accomplishing our goal of keeping our bubble small so we aren't affected by anything else."
For the past several years, Ramirez has trained in California.
WPTV asked her as she prepares for the Olympics, what she would tell her younger self.
"I would tell her to take the pressure off [and] have fun," Ramirez said. "It's the Olympic Games and it is the biggest part of your life but it doesn't define who you are."