The Forest Park Aquatic Center, 1077 Cicero Rd. in Noblesville, has announced it is planning a formal dedication ceremony for its 40 new 60-foot-by-24-foot banners, which will honor the 78 competitive swimmers, divers, coaches and volunteers who have come through the facility and have participated in the Olympic Trials.
The dedication will take place at the aquatic center at 10:30 a.m. June 25.
According to a news release, the list also includes 23 individuals who competed in the Olympics and collectively earned 13 medals. All 78 individuals are represented on one banner. Individuals from Indiana and those who have competed at the Olympics have individual banners.
The individual banners also have QR codes with links to the individuals’ biographies. According to the news release, the banners were financed through private contributions.
According to Greg Conner, president of the Friends of Central Pool, the nonprofit that operates the facility, representatives from USA Swimming, Indiana Swimming, USA Diving, AAU Diving and the City of Noblesville will attend the dedication ceremony.
“When we started working on this project, we figured there might be a couple dozen individuals who had come through the facility and gone on to participate (in the) trails,” Conner stated. “However, we had no idea the list would be so large. To think that the Forest Park Aquatic Center has been part of the journeys of so many accomplished athletes is extremely humbling and a huge source of pride for this community.”
According to the news release, the list of 78 individuals is led by Noblesville native David Boudia, who started his diving career at Forest Park Aquatic Center at the age of 11 and won a gold medal in the 10-meter platform competition at the 2012 Olympics.
“The Forest Park Aquatic Center is where it all started for me,” Boudia stated. “It’s where I overcame my fear of the 10-meter platform and gained the confidence to truly believe I could compete at the highest level within the sport of diving. I’m honored to be recognized alongside all these other accomplished athletes at a facility that means so much to me.”
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen said the city is “extremely fortunate” to have the Forest Park Aquatic Center.
“This is a fitting way to honor so many individuals that have represented Noblesville at the pinnacle of success within swimming and diving,” Jensen stated.
