Two years ago, Trey George had to quit his high school swim team because of fatigue and shortness of breath. He ended up having open-heart surgery for a congenital condition.

This fall, 16-year-old George proved how strong—and big—his heart has become, and it began with confronting some inner demons.

After only six weeks of training that began in August, he qualified for three events in this week's state swim championships, an “;almost unheard of”; achievement, says his coach, Randy Folker of the Aloha Aquatics Association.

George will compete in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard breast stroke for the Aloha Aquatics team in the 2008-09 Hawaiian Swimming Short Course Age Group Championships, starting tomorrow—almost two years to the date of his heart surgery. Twenty-seven teams, comprising the top 25 percent of the state's swimmers, will meet at the Veterans' Memorial Aquatic Center/Central Oahu Regional Park.

George, a military family kid who moved here in August, “;is one of the most pleasant, intelligent, hard-working kids—he should come wrapped with a Christmas bow,”; said Folker, who rates this Mililani High School junior among the three best he has ever coached in more than 20 years. “;He has a lot of natural talent.”;

At 6 feet 4 inches and 180 pounds, George's physique is also a real asset, along with “;an unbelievable work ethic,”; Folker said. But most swimmers train year-round and, even after five or six years, do not qualify for state championships, he added.

George said he joined Aloha Aquatics only at his mother's urging to encourage his sister to continue swimming. This was in August, shortly after the family moved from Texas back to Hawaii. (He competed for the Schofield Sharks Club six years ago, and belonged to a Texas club only for a month prior to his surgery.)

By the third day he was hating the pool and vowing to quit.

Folker said he needed a way to unlock in George a desire and commitment to compete, like breathing on a small flame.

A pivotal point was a simple, 15-minute meditation exercise in the pool.

During the meditation exercise, George confronted fears of inadequacy and of letting people down.

“;I put unreasonable pressure on myself,”; he admits now.

“;Sometimes it's good for us to do something we don't want to do; it helps you go beyond it,”; he said, making the decision to simply do his best to finish the season in December. “;My Dad always taught me commitment.”;

Said George, “;I wanted to break this thing in my mind that said, 'I suck.' Sometimes when you try doing something physical, it turns into something mental. I had to show myself I can go beyond this. ... I have definitely broken a part of me that was holding myself back.”;

He also had to conquer the fear that “;I would pass out and die (while training hard). But I trusted Coach Randy. I thought, 'He's not going to put me in danger or let anything happen to me.'”;

A self-described devoted Christian and an aspiring professional drummer, George said a swimming championship is not essential to his sense of self.

“;What it really comes down to is, Have I given it my all?”; he said. “;If I've done my best, I've done what God wants me to do.”;