What is the Elite Camp?
Welcome to the SwimStrong Dryland Elite Camp — Where the Top 1% Come to Level Up. This isn’t just a camp — it’s a five-day, high-octane experience built for the most elite athletes in the SwimStrong Dryland community. Hosted annually by the SSDL Staff (excluding Olympic years), this exclusive event is reserved for the top 1–2% who have earned their place through dedication, grit, and performance.
Prepare to push past your limits with a world-class combination of swim sessions, dryland training, team competitions, epic excursions, and mindset-shifting education. If you’re ready to train harder, think bigger, and be inspired like never before — this is your proving ground.
Elite Camp Qualifying Standards
The first step toward qualifying for the SwimStrong Dryland Elite Camp is simple: you must be a part of the SSDL Community. From there, it’s all about speed.
We’ve established two tiers of qualification: A (Automatic) and B (Bonus) standards — both listed to the left. Hit an A Cut, and your spot is guaranteed in the first wave of invitations. Land a B Cut, and you’ll be considered for remaining spots based on availability and the overall strength of the field.
These are 2025’s Elite Camp standards to the left — and they evolve each year. Typically, A Cuts sit just above Winter Junior National times, while B Cuts align just above Futures. If you’re chasing greatness, this is your shot to prove you belong.
Camp Schedule & Expected Events
At the SwimStrong Dryland Elite Camp, every day is packed with professional coaching, high-energy training, and next-level motivation. Our athletes leave stronger, smarter, and more fired up than ever. Here’s what a typical week looks like:
Day 1: Morning: Swim + Mobility Session; Afternoon: Education + Swim + Strength Training
Day 2: Morning: Swim + Mobility; Afternoon: Education + Swim + Core & Stability
Day 3: Morning: Swim + Strength Training; Afternoon: Camp Social Events* & College Coach Meet & Greet (see below)
Day 4: Morning: Swim + Mobility; Afternoon: Education + Swim + Core & Stability
Day 5 – The Grand Finale – Morning: Swim + Mobility; Afternoon: Education + ELITE CAMP SWIM MEET
*Camp Social Events vary every year! In past camps, we’ve hit the beach in Miami, gone boating in Austin, raced roller coasters in Charlotte, and played beach volleyball, bowled, and hit the arcades in Fishers. Expect something epic.
College Recruiting at the Elite Camp
Since 2023, we’ve opened the doors of the Elite Camp to collegiate coaches—giving them a front-row seat to watch SSDL athletes not just perform, but grind, lead, and elevate the athletes around them.
Unlike swim meets, where results are everything, this environment lets coaches see the full picture:
How you train, How you communicate, How you support your team & How you lead
On Day 3, we host our College Coaches Meet & Greet — a chance for athletes and coaches to connect one-on-one, ask questions, and build relationships that go beyond a race result. Depending on the year and recruiting rules, this happens in-person or virtually to give every athlete a meaningful opportunity.
Swipe through past Meet & Greet highlights and read testimonials from college coaches who’ve experienced the Elite Camp difference.
Team & Camp Competitions
At Elite Camp, it’s not just about how fast you swim — it’s about how hard you compete, how much you lead, and how far you’re willing to go for your team. Athletes are divided into balanced teams, each led by a coach, and battle it out all week long in a series of high-stakes challenges to earn points and claim the title of Elite Camp Team Champions.
Throughout the week, athletes compete in everything from broad jumps for distance and hollow holds for time to underwater 25 relays and a 200 LCM kick for time, all leading up to the final-day Elite Camp Swim Meet – a 1-session SCY swim meet with all events 500yds & under.
We also recognize standout performers with individual honors, including the High Point Award and the LeVasseur Leadership Award — named in 2025 to honor Porter LeVasseur, whose legendary leadership continues to inspire the Elite Camp legacy.
Elite Camp 2025 Recap
Location: Fishers, Indiana home of Fishers Area Swimming Tigers
Dates: June 20-24th, 2025
SSDL Coaches: Eric Hudson, Bryan McPherson, Brittany Miller, Greg Tymon, Heather Little, Chuck Andrews & Sean Workman
Swim Coaches: Joe Keller (FAST), Alec Haley (FAST), Lucas Salles-Cunha (Quicksilver Swimming), Kirsty Stooke (Seahawks Swim Team), Scott Ellis (YSSC) & Christian Watts (The Claremont Club)
Elite Camp 2025 Accolades
Team Champions: Team Tank Top
Coaches: Eric Hudson & Kaii Winkler
Athletes: Esme Quay, Kiera Rampersad, Penelope Lopez-Casula, AJ Adams, Connor Muran, Henry Anstine, Dillon Albertyn, Charlotte Milkie, Veronica Metz & Nate Thomas
2nd Place Team: The Green Team
Coaches: Bryan McPherson & Erika Pelaez
Athletes: Claire Burns, Finn Winkler, Gloria Kuang, Juan Leon, Louis St. Petery, Luke Parsons, Molly Lo, Natalie Dunaway, Noah Peery & Taylor Leishman
3rd Place Team: Team Huzzah
Coaches: Greg Tymon & Christian Watts
Athletes: Alyssa Albertyn, Drew Sito, Emma Schumacher, Joshua Smith, Kaitlyn Kolessar, Leonardo Lopez-Casula, Matthew Karasek, Olivia Vecchio, Scout Jackson & Ty Thomas
Most Valuable Athlete Male: Trey Clervi
Most Valuable Athlete Female: Julie Mishler
LeVasseur Leadership Award Male: Joshua Smith
LeVasseur Leadership Award Female: Alyssa Albertyn
Elite Camp 2023 Recap
Location: Charlotte, NC – Mecklenburg Aquatic Center
Dates: August 7-11th, 2023
SSDL Coaches: Eric Hudson, Bryan McPherson, Brittany Miller, Greg Tymon, Christine Epsky, Steve Marrero & Sean Workman
Swim Coaches: Tatiana de Lemos (WAVE), Emma Darlington (Tucson Ford Aquatics), Lori Reigler (Aquastar)
Elite Camp 2023 Accolades
Team Champions: The Stevie Seans
Coaches: Sean Workman & Steve Marrero
Athletes: Kiera Rampersad, Noah Cakir, Ian Everett, Sydney Ringwald, Mazie Paradis, Peyton Selts, Freddie Cumming & Hayley Smith
2nd Place Team: Team Tatiana
Coaches: Tatiana de Lemos
Athletes: Woobie Kupsky, Tehani Kong, Sophia Richard, Lily Christianson, Lizzie Yon, Sam Skibo, Daniel Cao & Keegan Kelly
3rd Place Team: Team Brittany
Coaches: Brittany Miller
Athletes: Porter LeVasseur, Hannah Renaud, Jaiden Sreeenivasan, Cameron Bucci, Nate Hohm, Reagan Graybill, Gioia Balzano, Izzie Bloom
Most Valuable Athlete Male: Peyton Selts
Most Valuable Athlete Female: Lily Christianson
LeVasseur Leadership Award Male: Matthew Elliott
LeVasseur Leadership Award Female: Katie Lawrence
Elite Camp 2022 Recap
Location: Austin, Texas, home of Nitro Swimming
Dates: June 27-July 1st, 2022
SSDL Coaches: Eric Hudson, Bryan McPherson, Brittany Miller, Christine Epsky, & Sean Workman
Swim Coaches: Tatiana de Lemos (WAVE), Randy Teeters (Nitro), Allison Brol (Nitro), Peter Nguyen (Nitro), Lori Reigler (Aquastar),
Elite Camp 2022 Accolades
Team Champions: Team Tatiana
Coaches: Tatiana de Lemos
Athletes: Erika Pelaez, Bre Bellie, Owen Tharington, Luke Stibrich, Dyson Lewis, Matt Williamson,
2nd Place Team: Team Eric
Coaches: Eric Hudson
Athletes: Steffan Teeters, Song Wang, Kate Braeger, Kiera Rampersad, Finn Winkler, Noah Cakir, Kaylee Wu & Delaney Brandt
3rd Place Team: Team Bryan
Coaches: Bryan McPherson
Athletes: Peter Schmelzer, Abi Winicki, Marco Lopez-Casula, Ozan Kalafat, Porter LeVasseur, Lizzy Washburn, Andrea Wu & Erica Maltsev
Most Valuable Athlete Male: Kaii Winkler
Most Valuable Athlete Female: Erika Pelaez
LeVasseur Leadership Award Male: Porter LeVasseur
LeVasseur Leadership Award Female: Lizzy Washburn
Elite Camp 2021 Recap
Location: Miami, Florida, home of Eagle Aquatics
Dates: June 25-29th, 2021
SSDL Coaches: Eric Hudson, Bryan McPherson, Brittany Miller & Christine Epsky
Swim Coaches: Mark Gole (NWAA), Tatiana de Lemos (WAVE), Adam Madarassy (Eagle Aquatics), Christian Rhoten (Edwardsville HS)
Elite Camp 2021 Accolades
Team Champions: Team Christian
Coaches: Christian Rhoten
Athletes: Cole Groom, Bridget Daab, Kaii Winkler, Marco Lopez-Casula, Lienfang Yu, Lizzy Washburn, Emma Overall, Tristen Burrola
2nd Place Team:
Coaches: Adam Madarassy
Athletes: Allison Naylor, Chloe Thompson, Emma Claus, Sydney Braeger, Jake Noble, John Hayes, Fredrik Larsen, Will Heges
3rd Place Team:
Coaches: Mark Gole
Athletes: Caitlin Fagan, Ella Welch, Katie Makarska, Melanie Nunn, Ben Turley, Cooper Scharff, Gavin Lindley, Jeffrey Vlass
Most Valuable Athlete Male: Sonny Wang
Most Valuable Athlete Female: Erika Pelaez
LeVasseur Leadership Award Male: Porter LeVasseur
LeVasseur Leadership Award Female: Ella Welch