Amy Cavanagh

 Favorite or funniest or most embarrassing swimming memory: So many memories—where do I even start? I love that Peter called it the “Chamblee Garage,” but I’m pretty sure we called it the “Chamblee Hole” back in the ’70s and ’80s! It was all we had: a small, chilly entryway with a bulletin board covered in notes, reminders, and dues parents owed, plus a tiny shop selling goggles, caps, and suits. The inside of “the hole” stunk of chlorine, a stench we came to know well on our bodies. There were two indoor pools, a weight room straight out of the ’70s, an office, two bathrooms, and an upstairs area with stands and concessions. The competition pool was by far colder than the lovely, cloudy (because of why?), warm down pool. Now, seeing Dynamo expand to three locations is unbelievable! I even heard that Chamblee now has a long course pool—lucky you! Back in the day, we suffered through Murphy Chandler as our long course pool, which doubled as a public summer pool. We spent spring through summer swimming in that “MC hole,” dodging floating hairballs, hair ties, popcorn buckets, candy wrappers, and other legendary (and disgusting) pool hazards I won’t even mention here.

There are so many unforgettable moments:

• Eric Wunderlich standing on the block, lifting my skeletal body by just my swimsuit bottom and laughing at me while I wrangled my arms and legs over the water.
• Finally breaking and telling Carlton Bruner I would “go” with him before Thanksgiving break, only to have our relationship last exactly five days because there were no cell phones, and we had a break from swimming!
• Making 15$ from Eric Wunderlich when he dared me to ask Prince Albert to dance with me in Monaco - only to interrupt him in the middle of a slow dance with a woman in a stunning ballgown, while I was decked out in my finest limited express outfit, and for the music to change to super fast music forcing me dance awkwardly to that whole song with him.
• Someone swiped “scientific pills” from their parents, claiming they’d reveal who peed in the pool. We tested them liberally around certain targets—the color change was epic, even against an overdose of chlorine!
• Kathy McGee yanking me out of the pool at the state meet at Emory (again, skeletal) with one arm, calling me a prima donna for talking instead of listening, then making me lunge around the entire long-course pool in front of so many teams.
• David Marsh always having us warm up with a 500 easy and Alex Braunfeld coming in his first Monday a.m. workout as a new coach and our WARM UP was 20 x 400’s negative split: 200 Free/200 IM. That clearly left a dent…
• Pressing ourselves against the wall, hiding our heads in the gutters, hoping Alex Braunfeld wouldn’t see us skipping a set—only to be caught and sentenced to even more swimming.
• Alex making us do timed swims in our specialty - mine was a 3000 Breastroke for time. I mean, who cares about having ice packs on your groin for 5 hours after when the poor butterflies had to do a 3000 for time, too. Poor souls.
• The sheer terror of getting sucked into the infamous “flume” at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs—swimming for my life to avoid a Willy Wonka-style doom.
• Staying at The Sands hotel (RIP, it no longer exists) in Las Vegas at 13, only to be exiled to Circus Circus with the “kid group” because Juniors wasn’t really a thing yet and they didn’t know what to do with the 12 year olds.
• Stuffing ourselves at Swensen’s all-you-can-eat dessert buffet before finals in South Carolina… then promptly vomiting post-race.
• Trying to convince my science teacher that the copious amounts of chlorine on my skin was going to preserve me as much as the formaldehyde the earthworm was soaked in prior to being cut open.
• Eating two full packs of Nutter Butters before practice while my parents were out of town, only to get sick all over the deck—right next to Alex Braunfeld’s feet.
• Cutting half a mile off our dryland run with Jaime Marion, getting caught, and having to redo the ENTIRE three-mile trail.
• The many Chamblee bathroom horror stories I could share… but instead, I’ll just say this: always wear flip-flops.
• Performing rain chants, praying for thunder and lightning to cancel Murphy Chandler’s evening practice.
•  Inventing the fun dip by licking our fingers and dipping them into jello packets.
• Burning our mouths with the epic toothpicks soaked in cinnamon oil that we would bring to swim meets and suck on for hours before our races.

Dynamo wasn’t just a swim team—it was an experience. And every single one of these moments, as chaotic, hilarious, or torturous as they were, made it unforgettable.

Your pinnacle/ peak performance: Throughout my swimming career, I had many pinnacle performances, but one moment stands above the rest. I was 11 years old, competing in Ft. Lauderdale at Junior Nationals—my dad officiating on deck—when I achieved something I hadn’t even dared to believe was possible at the time. I swam my heart out, touched the wall, and turned to see my time—I had made the National cut! Reaching that milestone had always been a goal, but in that moment, I had proven to myself that I could actually do it.
The best part wasn’t just the achievement itself—it was the look on my dad’s face. He stood above me staring at the scoreboard, still processing what had just happened across the long course pool. From the water, I kept shouting, “Dad!” but he was too stunned to react. Finally, he looked at me, and I yelled, “Dad! I did it! I made it to Nationals!” Overwhelmed, flustered, and caught in the moment, he lost his grip on his clipboard, sending it flying into the water. Then, without hesitation, he pulled me out and gave me the biggest hug.

That moment remains my most cherished memory—more than U.S. team experiences, international meets, college competitions, or even Olympic Trials. Nothing compares to that pure, unfiltered joy. It was a defining milestone, one that propelled me to the next level in swimming—along with much more intense training and seriousness! But in that instant, all that mattered was the overwhelming pride, excitement, and the unbreakable bond I shared with my dad.

How has your time at Dynamo impacted your life: I firmly believe that any extracurricular activity a child or teenager participates in—whether it’s music, drama, sports, or something else—will have a lasting impact on their life. For me, that activity was swimming with Dynamo. The influence it had on me was immeasurable, from the lifelong friendships my family and I formed to the privilege of training alongside and being coached by some of the best in the world. Dynamo provided a strong foundation that not only shaped me, but continues to pay dividends into who I am today.

There’s a unique level of discipline (and crazINESS??) instilled in anyone who willingly wakes up three times a week before school to plunge into an overly chlorinated, ice-cold pool—only to return every single weekday evening, again on Saturdays, go through Christmas break hell week(s), and never understand what a spring break or any break is in any given year. At Dynamo, we learned resilience, perseverance, confidence, dedication, and the structure necessary to balance both academics and athletics. While swimming is often viewed as an individual sport, we thrived as a team, celebrating each other’s victories and lifting each other up after tough races. Every athlete experiences setbacks, and we often embraced them with humility, recognizing the immense effort, time, and sacrifice we put in to excel in the sport.

I was fortunate to achieve success in the pool at a young age, but just as lucky to train alongside some of the greats. Who would have thought that the “Chamblee Hole” would produce so many world-class swimmers? Beyond the physical training, Dynamo taught us how to set ambitious goals and put in the necessary work to achieve them—lessons that extend far beyond the pool.\

The skills and mindset I developed at Dynamo continue to shape my life today. I push myself to be a better version of who I was yesterday, maintain structure while still embracing life’s joys, and approach hard work as the foundation of success. My career has seen highs, complete intentional restarts and reinventions, but one thing has remained constant: when I put in the effort and believe in myself, the results will come. Setting ambitious goals and breaking them down into achievable milestones is a mindset I carry with me every day.

Nothing worth having comes easily, and if it does, it probably wasn’t meant to be. The principles I live by today are deeply rooted in what I learned at Dynamo and through swimming. If you stay focused, enjoy the process, put in the necessary work, and believe in yourself, you will achieve your goals. I will always be grateful that Dynamo taught me the value of setbacks—not as failures, but as opportunities to pivot, grow, and achieve something even greater.

Side note and fair warning: My good friend and college roommate, Janet Evans, and I are convinced that sleep has become our favorite hobby after being deprived of it for years growing up! Also, at some point, I went from being ridiculously shy and awkward to never being able to stop talking. I blame all those hours trapped in a lane, staring at a black line with no creative outlet—except for dryland workouts and those rare set breaks. So, if you’re shy, don’t worry—it’ll pass. I’m living proof that the “gift of gab” can sneak up on you!

Where are you today? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my 14-year-old son and our 5-year-old goldendoodle who I am convinced thinks he is a human. I’ve been in the tech industry for 30 years (yikes) and that has been an exciting and ever-changing journey. During the pandemic, we got the amazing opportunity to move to Kauai for what was supposed to be a one-week trip, but we ended up staying for two years—talk about an epic adventure!

Life is incredibly busy right now with my son’s sports—baseball, football, basketball—plus school and my career, but I’m loving every minute of it. Once life slows down a bit, I can’t wait to travel and explore more of the world.

I also run a side business creating preserved moss art (www.nolo-studios.com), which I’m excited to focus more on once I retire from my day job. As for exercise, I should probably swim more seriously, but I mostly do it for leisure. I also run a bit, hit the gym, and pilates. It all seems to work for me!

Are you open to helping other Dynamo alums with networking? Sure! I am happy to network.

You can find me at:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycavanagh/
IG: amy.cavanagh
Facebook: Amy Cavanagh