NATCHEZ — Excited faces smiled behind neon goggles and bright swim caps Tuesday as the Special Olympics swim team practiced in the Natchez Senior Citizens Center pool.

The Mississippi Area 7 team’s eight swimmers worked on traditional swim strokes like the breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle, and also some modified styles.

“The events vary from 25 meters to 50 meters to 100 meters,” swim team coach Courtney Timm said. “We have flotation races where they can use the kickboard and the noodle, and we have an event where they can walk (in the water).”

The team is preparing for the state Mississippi Special Olympics Summer Games, which will be at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi May 17.

“On the Air Force base, it’s real neat,” Timm said. “The kids each get assigned two (airmen) who help them out. They take care of them and feed them and watch them. You know, it gives their parents time away from them to relax a little bit.”

Maggie Burns, a 17-year-old swimmer who will compete in the kicking events and the noodle, said kicking is her favorite part of swimming.

And swimming, she said, is one of her favorite activities.

“It’s fun and it’s great, and I love Courtney,” Burns said.

Timm, who is in her fourth year coaching the Special Olympics swim team, said all eight of her swimmers will compete in the state games.

“Every year we compete at the natatorium,” she said. “We match the swimmers to their abilities. We have some who can swim laps upon laps, so we have them do the most they can do, like the 100-meter, which is four laps.”

Timm, who has been on swim teams since she was young, started coaching the Olympic team as a junior at Trinity Episcopal.

She had been working with a young autistic girl in her neighborhood for several years when she was approached about coaching the team.

Now a sophomore at Co-Lin Community College, she said she cannot imagine doing anything else.

“Not only do I coach them in swimming, I coach them in life,” she said. “I hang out with them, we go out to dinner. They are just my heart.”

Special Olympics Area 7 will hold a charity golf tournament Saturday at Duncan Park to raise money for travel expenses for the state games.

Timm said all the money used to fund the area’s Special Olympics teams comes from volunteers and donations.

“My dad, Dr. (David) Timm, donated $250 for swim caps and goggles,” she said. “The community has been very supportive over the years. That’s the only way we could do this.”

Roseketa Johnson, 20, has enjoyed her time practicing for the Olympic games.

She said she expects to bring home two gold medals, although she is a bit nervous about competing.

“It’s a little bit scary,” she said. “But I like to kick the water hard. I’ll do good.”

Timm agrees that her students will give it all they have come race day.

“I never have to worry about them,” she said. “They always compete to their best ability. Some days they come to swim practice and they have their off days, but they always come to the swim meets with their ‘A’ games.”