Nicole Auerbach

USA TODAY Sports

Wishes can serve a practical purpose, too.

That's what 15-year-old Erik Nieman figured when he, with the help of Make-A-Wish, decided to spend a day training with 11-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte. Nieman's was the first wish request for Lochte.​

Nieman, an Arkansas native who has cystic fibrosis, has been a swimmer since the age of 3, and he focuses on backstroke and the individual medley – just like Lochte. He wanted to meet Lochte, of course, but he also wanted some tips from the professional to improve his own swimming.

What he got was even more than a tip or two.

"I did not expect the amount of training," Nieman said Wednesday. "I was pleasantly surprised that I could train with the team and get a nice workout, too."

Neiman spent about four hours on Tuesday at the Levine Athletic Center aquatic facility at Queens University in Charlotte, the home base for Lochte's training group, run by coach David Marsh. He was invited back again to swim Wednesday, an added bonus.

"I'm happy they invited me to come back, even though they didn't have to," Nieman said.

Marsh, Lochte's coach, said Nieman and Lochte "definitely hit it off" relationship-wise. The two discussed their personal lives, and Nieman said Lochte "has a great attitude out of the pool" and "seems like a very nice person."​ In terms of swimming, Marsh said he was most impressed by Nieman's eagerness to learn.

"Erik wanted to know technical information," Marsh said Tuesday night. "He wanted to get better as a swimmer. A lot of times, this is all about inspiration, this sort of thing. But this young man was like, 'I want your secrets. How do you kick underwater so fast?' "

Because cystic fibrosis is a a genetic, degenerative disease that affects the lungs, that underwater element of swimming can be particularly challenging. But Nieman hopes he can swim collegiately – and he dreams of making an Olympic team someday – so he sought any and all tips from Lochte to improve his underwater skills.

"He's actually pretty good," Marsh said. "It was not swim lessons -- it was swim improvement. ... He practiced with us, a version of practice. During practice, he had to take a break to take his enzymes, his shake he takes during practice. I think our guys saw that, and it really affected them a little bit.

"It's always when you feel like you're giving, you feel like you get more."

Marsh has been involved with this particular cause for decades, originally helping to raise awareness for and detection of cystic fibrosis with the Laps For CF Foundation in Birmingham, Al.

Marsh said he and Lochte would love to invite more kids who might be inspired by them to practice in the future.

"That's how Ryan is wired," Marsh said. "That's the beautiful side of his personality, that he wants to be involved in things like this."​