'I love it:' Olympic swimmer journeys from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin for training

Olympian Ally McHugh responds to Olympics postponed

MADISON -- An Olympic swimmer was training in Wisconsin until everything was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ally McHugh is a championship swimmer from Penn State University, so, naturally, her path to the Olympics would go through Wisconsin, right?

"Literally a few days after graduation, I spent some time with family but then literally was right out to Madison, Wisconsin and my new apartment, getting back to training, meeting the team, building relationships with those athletes and the other coaching staff," McHugh said. "It's been awesome. I love it."

Ally McHugh

McHugh made the move to work with Eric Poskay, who's an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. In mid-March, the UW natatorium was closed due to the coronavirus situation, forcing McHugh and Badgers star Beata Nelson to drive to the Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer to train.

(Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Then came the official word that the 2020 Olympics would be postponed a year. McHugh agrees with that decision and is adjusting.

"The training adjustment has been pretty hard, but it's what the situation is right now," she said. "I'm just kind of going to go with it, and we'll just make up things and plan as we go."

McHugh is back in Philadelphia right now, looking forward to returning to Madison when it becomes possible and then taking aim at the 2021 Games.