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Biography

Aaron grew up in Irvine, California. His mother, Luella, started him swimming as a baby. When Aaron was 7, he joined the local YMCA. Three years later, he joined the Novaquatics swimming club where he was coached by David Salo.

Aaron continued to excel and by age 10, he had already start to break records. Aged 10 years, Aaron set a new record for the 100 backstroke for his age group. Then, when he was 12, he did it again! During his high school years, Aaron had an early daily wake-up call (5AM) so he could get a 2 hour practice in before he went to school.

In 1999, Aaron joined the National team and never looked back! Aaron earned a spot on the 2000 Olympic team. He competed in the 200 backstroke and placed second. Thoughout the next few years, Aaron competed in many national and international meets such as the World Championships, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Pan-American games; setting several records along the way.

He earned a swimming scholarship to the University of Texas, where he enrolled in the fall of 2002. After 2 years of competing for the Longhorns, Aaron decided to turn professional at the end of the 2004 season. In the summer of 2004, Aaron qualified for his second Olympic games in which he swept the backstroke events. He also swam in the world record setting 4x100 Medley relay team.

Written by me (Suz) for Aaron-Peirsol.com

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