Bel Air Teen Competes for Olympic Swimming Spot

One Bel Air teen will swim for the chance of a lifetime tonight in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.

Chase Kalisz will join fellow North Baltimore Aquatic Club swimmers and Ryan Lochte in the 400 intermediate medley Olympic swim trial finals Monday, June 25, according to a WBAL.com article.

The 18-year-old finished third overall to secure a spot in the finals, according to the WBAL.com story.

Kalisz, who posted a personal best of 4:15.78, trains with Phelps, according to a post on The New York Times online.

"I know some people are intimidated swimming against him but I personally think it’s a benefit," Kalisz said in a video posted to swimswam.com.

The graduate and University of Georgia freshman has come a long way to get to tonight's race.

In 2002 Kalisz was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, neurological disease that causes weakness, and in his case, paralysis, according to an article in The Print, Fallston's school paper.

Kalisz's father, Mike, told The Press Box that his son ran in the Bel Air town run and the next day was suffering from soreness.

"We thought it was just some residual soreness because of the running. The following night, he literally couldn't walk. We took him right to the pediatrician. He was semi-paralyzed. I mean this all happened in the span of 48 hours," Mike Kalisz was quoted as saying in the Press Box story.

The younger Kalisz fully recovered and soon returned to swimming.

You can watch the 2012 Olympic swimming trials at 8 p.m. June 25 on NBC.