Olivia Smoliga is going for the gold at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games — with or without fans cheering her on in the stands.

While chatting with PEOPLE about the upcoming sporting event and what it could look like amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 26-year-old swimmer spoke candidly about the likelihood that overseas fans will not be allowed to attend.

Recalling several meets that she took part in over the past year that did not allow crowds, including one in San Antonio, Texas, and another in Budapest, Hungary, Smoliga tells PEOPLE, “We didn’t have fans there either, and yet we still hyped each other up.”

“Records were broken, people were going fast and having a really good time. I think that’s just a testament to how much racing, or competing in general across any sport, how much it means to the athlete,” she continues. “And even if there aren’t fans, you’re still are going to do what you love to do because training is all that you put together just so you can compete.”

RELATED: Spectators from Abroad May Not Be Permitted to Attend Upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo

Smoliga, who is hoping to secure her spot in the Tokyo Games at the Olympic swimming trials in June, is “very excited” for the opportunity regardless, and says that she would “be thrilled” to compete for Team USA again.

“It would hopefully be my second time around,” she says. “[I’d have] a little more experience under my belt, kind of knowing what to expect, because it is a really awesome experience.”

Initially learning of the postponement of the Games back in March 2020, Smoliga says, left her uneasy about the future of the sporting event.

“I was fine with the decision [and] fine with everything happening, everyone’s in the same boat, there’s so much out of my control so you have to really go with the flow to the best of your ability — and I felt that I did that pretty well — but there were moments like at practice … where you find yourself kind of drifting in thought, like, ‘This is really tough. What will happen next year?'” she says. “A lot of thoughts that you never thought of in your whole life.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE‘s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.