Former Fairbanks High School state championship swimmer Margo Geer is pictured in this file photo. Geer will leave on Thursday for Lima, Peru, where she will compete in the Pan American Games.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Former Fairbanks High School swimmer Margo Geer will be competing during the upcoming Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
The eight-time state championship swimmer from FHS will leave Thursday for South America.
The Games will be held from Aug. 6-11.
Geer has qualified to compete in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.
It will be the latest in a string of competitions that have kept Geer, 27, busy this year.
She recently swam as a member of the United States’ women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay team during the Fina world championships in South Korea.
Geer swam with the team in the preliminaries and had the second-fastest split time of 53.61. She teamed with Lia Neal, Allison Schmitt and Abbey Weitzeil.
Geer did not swim during the finals, but was awarded a silver medal along with the rest of the team after a second-place finish.
While Geer is certain to compete in the 50 and 100 freestyles during the Pan Am Games, she may also be in the pool for three additional events.
“She may compete as a member of the 4 x 100 freestyle, the 4 x 100 medley and the 4 x 200 freestyle relays,” said her father Mark.
Whether she competes on the relay teams will be determined once swimmers arrives in Peru.
Geer said that he and his wife Linda will travel to South America to watch their daughter compete.
Margo Geer began swimming at the age of four and captured high school state championship medals all four years competition for Fairbanks.
Her gold medals (two each year) came in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.
She later swam for the University of Arizona and was a three-time NCAA national champion (50 freestyle in 2013 and the 100 freestyle in 2013 and 2014).
She also earned various medals in 2015 during the world championships.
Geer has also competed against the United States’ elite swimmers during several Olympic trials.
Geer also competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 trials.
Although she has never qualified for the Summer Olympics, that hasn’t stopped her competitive spirit
Geer plans on competing in the 2020 Olympic Trials next June in both freestyle events.
The trials will be held in Omaha, Neb.