Local teen to swim for Dominican Republic in Olympics

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. (WHDH) -- Making waves at this year's Olympics is a 15-year-old swimmer from Northborough. But this talented teenager isn't hitting the pool for the U.S.; she will be swimming for the Dominican Republic.

Dorian McMenemy is planning to make a real splash at the London Olympics.

The Northborough High School swimmer will be representing the Dominican Republic at the Summer Games.

"I like got home from school, and got the call, and they said they were going to send me to the Olympics and when I first got that call I thought I must be dreaming I didn't even tell anyone right away because I thought it was fake," Dorian said.

Dorian was raised in Massachusetts but has dual citizenship -- her mom Luisa is from the Dominican Republic.

"It’s like a dream come true. We used to sit down and watch the Olympics every year and talk, 'How come the Dominicans don't have any swimmers?' we always used to wonder about that and we were talking about maybe one day our daughter could swim for the country so it's, it's very surreal," Dorian’s mother, Luisa, said.

Dorian first hit the pool when she was very young.

"When she was about four years old we took her to swimming lessons for the first time and she just wanted to keep signing up for every session so by the end of that summer she was swimming with 12-year-olds," Dorian’s father, Ron, said.

Now her specialty is the butterfly.

"It’s my best stroke and I also like it a lot. A lot of people don't like it that much 'cause it's very tiring and it takes a lot of energy. But, I like it," Dorian said.

Dorian has qualified to race in the 100 meter fly.

"I’m most looking forward to swimming my event and just doing the best I can do," Dorian said.

However it turns out in London, the 15-year-old is already looking ahead to the 2016 Olympics.

"I’ll probably, like, work even harder and like, keep training. I’m expecting to maybe win something," Dorian said.

Dorian makes her Olympic debut on the first day of competition Saturday July 28.