When someone says “synchronized swimming,” do you picture ladies with flowered caps moving languidly through the water? You better not, says Ruby Remati, the 2017 U.S. national champion in the solo and figures categories. “It’s an extremely demanding sport, and it requires a lot of hours of training,” the 15-year-old says. “There are some people who look at is as a stereotype, but there are also a lot of people who find it really cool and unique. The reactions vary.”

Synchronized swimming is a unique mixture of dance, gymnastics and swimming, she explains. “It requires a lot of endurance and flexibility. We train, we do speed swimming, we do weight lifting, we train like rhythmic gymnasts do to improve flexibility.”Unlike in the United States, the sport is popular in Russia, Spain and China, she says. “These are all the countries that are on the top right now, that are medaling. Russia, especially.”