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It’s weird, Chris Sullivan said.

When the Penn State senior and Naples High grad got into a Charlotte, N.C., pool on June 5, he took a year-and-half’s worth of personal and injury-related frustrations with him.

“I was getting really (upset) with my swimming,” he remembered. “I didn’t have all that great of a (junior) year, had some problems with my legs. I was in a dismal mood, just going through the motions. I know I didn’t go into that meet with a whole lot of expectations.”

It’s as if, over the next 15 minutes and 52.32 seconds, he washed all those hardships away.

The finish, a personal-best by five seconds in the 1,500-meter freestyle, was good enough to make the cut for this week’s USA Swimming Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb.

It’s a shot at every swimmer’s dream, of course, but for Sullivan, the trip is also the source of a rediscovered passion.

“This has revitalized my love for the sport,” he said. “These last couple weeks, going to practice everyday has become enjoyable again. I’m training for something, and I haven’t felt that way in a year or two. It’s made my outlook a lot sweeter.”

Not that simply getting there is good enough for Sullivan.

Sure, he said, the trip itself is once in a lifetime, what with the 21-year-old accompanying 20 Penn State teammates (11 women, nine men) and another seven from his old team, locally-based Swim Florida.

“But I’m still pretty focused on what I’ve got to do,” he said. “Every swimmer’s goal is to make the Olympics, to the pinnacle of swimming. The next best thing is the trials. It’s an unreal experience, I hear, and not many people get to say they’ve gone. I’m going to soak it all in and, hopefully, a good time comes along with it.”

Sullivan swims in the very last event of the trials, with the 1,500 free set for July 5 at the Qwest Center. He’s realistic about his goals, seeded 69th in the 74-person field and having made the cut by roughly one second, but said he’s aiming for “a pretty steep but do-able” drop of at least 12 seconds from that qualifying time.

Such a finish, he said, should be more than enough to ride his newfound optimism back into the NCAA championships after a year-long absence.

“I’ve been feeling a hell of a lot better than I did a few weeks ago,” he said, “so the main thing for me is to get out there, have a ton of fun and really enjoy the whole experience.”

No doubt it will be just as thrilling for Daryl Sullivan, the Swim Florida and Naples High coach who has provided a calming voice — both in life and the pool — for his son.

Daryl was taking seven area swimmers (one from Naples and another six from Fort Myers) to Omaha, regardless, but the fact his son will be there and competing should make the trip that much sweeter.

“It’s great for me, because I know how hard he’s worked,” Daryl Sullivan said. “One of his goals going into college was to make the NCAA’s, which he did (as a sophomore in 2007). He watched the trials four years ago and said, ‘Man, I’d love to swim at that meet.’ It’s been a tough year, a frustrating year, and for him to go and do this, it’s great to see that it’s changed his whole attitude.”

The younger Sullivan said that both his parents, former swimmers at St. John’s, helped him persevere through a season in which his regular training methods were altered radically after he reported a regular numbness in his feet.

He speaks to either Daryl or his mother, JoAnn, at least once a day, and said he’s aware that the family trip to Omaha, whatever happens, is a reward of sorts for years of practice and patience together.

“It’s just great having parents who have been close to the sport,” Chris said, “and it’s nice to bounce ideas off (Daryl) and keep an open channel with that resource. My mom’s just really excited to be going.”

Daryl said the pair will be working hard on being “just fans” in Omaha.

“I can kind of be there as a father and a coach,” he said, “but it’s gonna be fun just to watch him swim in that atmosphere. I’ll sure help if he needs it, but there’s no pressure.”

Funny, the younger Sullivan seems to have learned that it’s that kind of environment which brings out his best.

Now he’s planning on taking that attitude to Omaha and his senior year at State College, too.

“I’ve got that monkey off my back,” he said. “(The trials) are definitely going to be intense, with that many people cheering for you. I needed this. I’m excited again, and hopefully I take this experience into a very big year. It’s senior year and I want to go out strong.”