"Just the rush you get is really nice," she said.
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But once she's in the water, she's anything but ordinary.
"Superstar, great kid, All-American," says Clovis West Swim Coach Adam Reid.
The 16-year-old Clovis West Junior has a knack for the breaststroke.
"She has like world-class mobility," Reid said.
"Flexible ankles -- you have to have good ankle turnout," Marinovich said.
Just three years ago, those flexible ankles stamped her place in history.
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She qualified for the US Olympic trials in the 200m breaststroke as just an 8th grader.
"Became the fastest-ever 13-year-old American girl in the event, which i had no intention of doing at the time," Marinovich said.
That talent would catch the eye of top Division I programs across the country.
"Day one, she got calls from everyone," Reid said.
Last October, Marinovich committed to the University of Tennessee, a program that's produced more than a dozen Olympians and stands as the reigning SEC Conference champs.
"It just felt like home when I was there, and I really didn't feel that anywhere else," she said.
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But before she heads to the Volunteer state, she continues to rewrite the books.
Just last week, she broke the D1 Central Section 100m breaststroke record.
"All I had in my head was just go in and race because that's what I find fun," she said.
It's speed she hopes can one day translate to the US Olympic team, with the summer games in Paris just a year away.
"Is it very difficult? Yes," Reid said. "But she's definitely in the picture of someone who can get to that level."
It's a level she decides to stay humble about.
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