By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
In a state long known for its vast landscapes and limited aquatic infrastructure, Wyoming’s swimming community is entering a new era. Gillette, home to the state’s only Olympic-sized pool for decades, is preparing to open a brand-new $38 million aquatic facility this December.
When the doors open, the new Gillette Aquatic Center will replace the city’s aging 50-meter pool, joining Laramie’s under-construction long-course facility as one of just two Olympic-sized pools in Wyoming.
“The only 50-meter pool in the state of Wyoming is our current facility,” said Phil Rehard, the Campbell County School District #1 Aquatic Director in an interview with SwimSwam. “Laramie/University of Wyoming is also building a 50M pool in Laramie that will house the WY Cowboys. So there will now be 2 brand new 50M pools in the state.”
The new Gillette complex will serve as a cornerstone for both community and competition. Owned by the Campbell County School District, the facility will continue the city’s swim lesson program, where 1st-6th grade students participate in a 10-day swimming unit each year. It will also serve as home to two high school teams, a junior high program, and the Gillette Swim Team. Rehard says the pool will “run about 25 high school swim meets a year and 5-6 club meets a year.”
The new pool includes elevated spectator seating for approximately 1200 fans and deck space for up to 600 athletes. The pool has a target opening day of December 1st. The project was funded jointly by the Campbell County School District and the Campbell County Recreation District, after years of saving and planning.
“Our community has invested in this project for a long time,” Rehard said. “It’s exciting to see it finally come to life for our students, our teams, and our state.”
The Gillette project is part of a larger movement across Wyoming to modernize aging aquatic facilities. Communities in Cheyenne, Laramie, and Green River have all recently built new pools to replace outdated, often non-functional ones.
“Most places outside of Wyoming have multiple pools, but here, a town typically has just one,” Rehard explained. “Communities have realized that if those old pools disappear, swimming disappears with them.”
The new water will aim to grow the number of participants and the swimming landscape in the state as a whole.
“It really has helped boost the energy level of swimming in each community. Numbers have seemed to rise significantly in the communities that have built a pool. I believe our facility will keep our state up to having 50M of water and a great place for our championship meets as well as hopefully bring in some bigger type meets.”
For Kristen Pritchett, a 14-time NCAA All-American and former U.S. National Team member who grew up swimming in Wyoming, the addition of new long-course water is a game-changer for the Cowboy State.
“The addition of a new 50-meter aquatic complex is a tremendous development for swimming in Wyoming,” she said in an interview with SwimSwam. “Historically, the state has only had one 50-meter pool, which was the previous Gillette complex. Having this new facility, along with the 50-meter pool in Laramie currently under construction, shows how smaller communities across Wyoming are recognizing the importance of swimming and investing in facilities that support the sport.”
That momentum is especially meaningful in a state where the entire population numbers under 600,000. Pritchett described Wyoming’s swimming community as “a close-knit group” with strong coordination between club, high school, and collegiate programs. “Coaches at every level do an excellent job of working together,” she said. “At the collegiate level, Dave Denniston and the University of Wyoming staff have done a great job recruiting in-state talent. It’s always exciting to see Wyoming club swimmers go on to represent the Cowboys and Cowgirls at the next level.”
Still, Pritchett emphasized that growth requires more than just facilities.
“One of the biggest challenges, not just in Wyoming but everywhere, is recruiting and retaining young age-group swimmers,” she said. “It’s important to build strong programs where kids can have fun, develop skills, and learn to love the sport. Swimming is demanding, and without a strong peer group it can be hard for kids to stay motivated. In Wyoming specifically, pool access adds another hurdle, especially in smaller communities.”
Some towns have managed to overcome those challenges despite limited resources. “Lander, for example, is a town of about 10,000 people and has maintained a strong swimming tradition with just one six-lane pool,” Pritchett said. “That pool serves high school and club teams, community swim hours, and lessons. Many smaller towns just don’t have the resources to support large aquatic facilities, and even our two largest cities, Casper and Cheyenne, still lack 50-meter pools.”
Even so, both Rehard and Pritchett view Gillette’s new aquatic center as a turning point. “Gillette has always been a leader in the sport of swimming in Wyoming,” Rehard said. “Its exciting to start a new era with a brand new facility that will be a great facility for our entire state.”
Pritchett also expressed her overall excitement for the new facility and its potential impact on the state. “It will always make my heart happy to see our communities in Wyoming supporting swimming and aquatic centers,” she said. “They are used daily for community open swim, swim lessons, scuba diving lessons, and yes, also swim practice. Wyoming is not necessarily a swimming state, which is certainly influenced by weather and geography, but I am always optimistic on Wyomingites continuing to see the value in knowing how to swim and the sport of swimming as a whole.”
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