Roy-Allan Burch and Cullen Jones are the best of friends.

The SwimMac Carolina team-mates share a mutual respect and admiration for each other’s athletic abilities and accomplishments, and motivate one another to keep striving towards a mandate of inspiring future generations of swimmers to follow in their wake.

But their friendship only goes so far — to edge of the swimming pool to be exact — where their competitive instincts take control.

“Everybody is competitive in practice,” Burch, Bermuda’s two-times Olympian, said,“but it gets especially competitive between the two of us when it is time to do the work. I really try to outwork him for the most part.”

Jones, a United States Olympic medal-winner, added: “He is definitely the one on my hip pushing me every day. He pushes me every day and I push him every day, so I think it is two athletes trying to get better and better.”

Burch and Jones go way back. They started competing against each other at junior events in New Jersey and in later years would renew rivalries at the 2007 World Championships in Australia and 2008 Beijing Olympics and London 2012.

“We used to race against each other when we were kids,” Jones, 30, recalled. “I always raced with him whenever I was at big meets.

“We have known each other personally since 2007 and at the Olympic Games in Beijing, we got along closer.”

Burch, who achieved the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard twice last year, at the World Championships in Barcelona and the Genoa 40 Trofeo meet in Italy, also remembers those early days.

“I am a year younger than he is, so he was a senior when I was junior,” said Burch, who turns 29 on November 29. “He was a lot further ahead of me at that age, so my high school coach had me watch him.

“I would be watching him in the A final while I am in the B final, or maybe not in the final at all.

“My coach told me to keep an eye on this guy because he is going to be one of the best in the world one day.”

The words of Burch’s varsity coach could not have been more prophetic, as Jones won silver medals in the 50 metres free and 4?x?100 free relay and gold in the 4?x?100 medley relay at the London Olympics. He also holds the national long-course record for the 50 freestyle.

“Cullen is so talented and has no limits and I can learn a lot from his mentality,” Burch said. “His preparation may not always go the way he wants it. But he can always find a way to go very fast — and I can learn a lot from that.”

Jones returned the compliment to Burch, who holds Bermuda records in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

“Roy is a student of the sport and is determined,” he said. “He has been very, very determined to get to that next level.

“I have watched Roy grow throughout the years and this year has definitely been his best by far; training-wise, racing-wise and just when it comes to focus.

“The elite team is not an easy team to get on and for him to be, not only one of the best trainers here, but one of the best racers, says a lot about the Roy I met in 2008 that was trying to figure out how to get to the next level — and he is there.

“Training has been showing that and I am excited to see him race this summer.

“The evolution of Roy has been dramatic and is actually something that motivated me want to train harder and come to practice every single day. He has put in so much work and his dedication and motivation is bar none one of the highest I have ever seen.

“Bermuda should be proud of Roy for what he has achieved and for he what is attempting to achieve.”