While walking along the pool deck, two-time Olympian Cammile Adams can’t help but feel nostalgic at the sight of the varsity swim team practicing in the water. Only a few years ago, she was in the same place as them, swimming for the Cypress Woods High School swim team and dreaming of what the future had in store for her. Little did she know that her passion for the sport would take her to one of the largest stages in the world, where she would later place and become one of the most inspiring swimmers in the U.S.

Adams competed in the London Olympics in 2012 and the Rio De Janeiro Olympics in 2016, placing fifth and fourth place respectively. As a retired Olympic athlete, she now prides herself in teaching younger athletes to improve their skills, while also motivating them to follow their dreams.

“I love clinics. This is actually part of the reason why I wanted to own my own business and just have more flexibility within my schedule- to be able to still do clinics and give back to swimmers,” Adams said. “I mean I was in their shoes not that long ago, so [I love] just being able to give back to them and hopefully inspire them.”

After high school, Adams went to Texas A&M and joined the swim team, where she vastly improved. Soon after, Adams was on the way to the Olympics in London.

“I think the highlight of my swimming career was probably making my first Olympic team,” Adams said. “It was really really special, and it was so fun. My entire family was there, I had like ten or so people come to both London and in my second Olympic team in Rio, so it was just a really special experience to share with them too.”

From an early age, her father, who was a swim coach, instilled her spirited commitment to swimming, teaching her how to improve and excel in the sport. Her family has always been the backbone of success.

“I would probably say my family [has been my biggest supporter],” Adams said. “[They] were there at trials. My dad and my sister were actually on the deck, because my sister was swimming in the first one, and then my dad was a coach, so he was on the pooldeck. It was just a really special memory for all of us to have together.”

Adams’ decision to visit Cy Falls was boosted by her enthusiasm of teaching and swimming. It was a perfect opportunity to combine the two. Following in her father’s footsteps years ago when she was little, she now teaches a large number of people, young and old, how to swim and improve. 

“I teach kids, a year and all the way up to adults and special needs, the life skill of swimming,” Adams said. “We have a little tagline called ‘Bubbles to Butterfly,’ which is perfect. So, we do the learn-to-swim, teaching them the foundations of the strokes and the sport, and then we teach all the way up to skilled detail driven within each stroke, so bubbles to butterfly.”

After graduating from A&M and competing in the Olympics, Adams followed her dream of becoming a teacher; however, last year she took advantage of the golden opportunity of opening her own business, as she liked the autonomy it granted her. The COVID-19 pandemic also presented a new problem with an increased number of drowning cases that she felt was important to note. 

“For me, I really love the autonomy of owning my own business,” Adams said. “I think I missed that in the classroom a little bit, and I really just wanted to get back to a sport that completely changed my life and gave me so many opportunities. People [were] not able to take swim lessons for the first bit of the year, so for me it was just really important to spread the skill of swimming.”

Whether it’s competing in the Olympics, teaching kids, or owning her own business, Adams is adamant about finishing the goals that she wants to accomplish. 

“I think the biggest thing is not being afraid to just try something new. I think sometimes in high school especially, and just in life, we can set these big, lofty goals and then be scared to go out and do them. I talked to the kids today about setting short-term and long-term goals. Your short-term goals are really really important, like stepping stones to get to where you want to be eventually in your long-term.”