Three months before world Championship 2011, four-time Olympic Silver medalist Kara Lynn Joyce, 25, joined Missy and the Colorado Stars in Colorado. It was an unusual situation: Kara instantly became the oldest swimmer on the Colorado Stars – by 8 years. And Kara was only 25.

But unlike the teenage Missy and the rest of her Colorado teammates, Kara was a professional swimmer, and on her own.

Kara is one of the most decorated female swimmers in college history. And Kara had already been on the Athens and Beijing Olympic teams where she had won 4 Silver medals. This time, however, would be the most difficult. Battling age and time, Kara fought her way back onto the Olympic team.

Along the way, Missy and Kara became fast friends and remain so to this day.

“Swimming is easy,” Kara says, “You get on the blocks, dive in, and try to be the first one to Touch the Wall.”