The 2008 Chrysler Sebring driven by Dixon senior Aaron Helander has gotten quite a workout the past 2 years.

He’s put 40,000 miles on the vehicle, most of them in either 10- or 25-mile increments, in pursuit of excellence in his sport of choice: swimming. In the summer, he ventures to Sterling to practice with his club team, the Sterling Stingrays, from 6 to 9 a.m., then again from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Now that the high-school season is here, he still ventures to Sterling for an hour-long pre-school workout, then heads to Byron after school to practice 2 hours with the Tigers. Dixon does not offer boys swimming, and Helander is preparing for his fourth season on the Byron cooperative squad.