Laura Beth Thomas may be more at home in the water than she is on land. A swimming enthusiast since the age of 6, the South Aiken High School senior has accomplished a number of huge feats in the pool. The two-time Scholastic All-American from USA Swimming has three times been named to the South Carolina High School All-State team, she has amassed three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes at the South Carolina High School Championships, she has never lost a regular season or regional race in four years at SAHS, she is a four-time women's high-point trophy winner for SAHS and she has achieved numerous state, sectional and Junior National time standards while swimming with the Aiken-Augusta swim league.
While all of those impressive accomplishments have been rewarding for Thomas, they were all simply steps along the way to realizing her lifelong dream of swimming at the collegiate level. On Tuesday, Thomas' dream came true as she inked a scholarship to swim at the University of South Carolina.
"Since I was little, I have always wanted to swim in college," said Thomas, who was also recruited by Texas Christian University, Florida Atlantic University and a number of smaller schools. "At first, I wanted to swim for Georgia, because that was the top swimming school. But swimming for an SEC school is amazing because it is at the top. I am a big football fan, so I wanted somewhere where I could go to games and get a good education. I wanted somewhere that had exercise science or something that could get me into physical therapy. South Carolina has a good exercise science program, so it is a good fit. "I have always thought it was a possibility, but when schools started to contact me (I knew it was true)," she continued. "I still didn't know if I could swim in the SEC, but when South Carolina contacted me I thought, 'This could really happen.' Getting a scholarship is something I didn't think would ever happen."
The journey toward realizing a major dream was a long one for Thomas. She first began swimming when her mother signed her up for lessons with Dave Flanders, who now coaches at Aiken High School. As a 6-year-old, Thomas joined the team at Woodside Plantation, and she said she has been attached to the sport since that time.
"I love everything about it," said Thomas. "It is a place where you can let out stress and emotions, and you can be yourself. It is my happy place, I guess.
"I just swim way too much," she continued, outlining the training routine that helped her reach the collegiate level. "We have trained almost non-stop, and my coaches have brought more out of me than I though was possible. My (ASL) coach, Adam Byers, has brought me to a point where I didn't think was possible. I had kind of plateaued, and when he became the program director, he took me to a new level."
According to Byers, however, his job was really not that difficult.
"Laura Beth has always had a tremendous amount of talent," explained the ASL coach. "It was really a matter of her focusing and applying that talent to get to the next level. A lot of it is the mental side of things. When she is positive and able to mentally focus, the results speak for themselves."
Both Byers and SAHS coach Carey Hanlin also pointed to Thomas' work ethic as the major contributor to her success in the water.
"She has always worked very hard," said Hanlin. "She was probably 11 years old when I started coaching her (in the ASL program), and she is a very dedicated and committed swimmer. When I was coaching her at ASL, I knew she would be in contention. She always competes in practice, and that means a lot.
"I am just elated," Hanlin concluded. "It is wonderful to see it, especially since I have seen her grow as a swimmer. It is great to see her grow up and reach the goal she has always tried to attain."
Just earning a scholarship, though, won't be enough for Thomas, who has always had the drive to be the best. The next step will be finding a way to step up to the competition she will face as a Gamecock.
"Swimming in the SEC is probably the most competitive conference in the country," said Byers. "She will be exposed to really great athletes on a daily basis. She just has to trust her coaches and teammates and find her own way to help contribute."
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