It's been 12 years since Carlton Bruner competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, but the Beaufort resident still hasn't found words to illustrate what he felt the night he qualified for the Games

"Making the team was absolutely indescribable," Bruner said. "It's really hard to put into words. Someone once told me afterwards that it's not the actual joy of winning, it's the journey that got me there. I think those words are pretty darn true."

Bruner's road to Atlanta began when he started swimming year-round as an 8-year old. The Olympics didn't become a viable possibility until after senior year of high school.

In one of the last meetings with his high school coach, the coach locked the office door and wouldn't let Bruner leave unless he said one word.

"He wanted me to say Olympics," Bruner said.

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