Kai Anderson

Senior Kai Anderson competing at a swim meet.

While most high schoolers are still groggily climbing out of bed and hitting their snooze buttons, senior Kai Anderson has already swum over a mile. 

For the past six years, Anderson has devoted himself to competitive swimming. It has grown into a huge part of his life, and his days have since become ones measured by split seconds and sunrise practices.

“I swim 20 hours a week for my team Surge Aquatics,” Kai Anderson said. “In order to stay competitive with other high school students, I started training with my team in the morning before school at Davenport High School.”

Throughout his high school career, practice has remained a constant, and Anderson has remained relentless in his pursuit of improvement, sometimes making it difficult to balance his academic and athletic interests.

“It’s never ending,” math teacher and Kai’s mother Mrs. Tracey Anderson said. “ He swims at least two mornings a week before school. He swims practically every day after school for 2 to 2 ½ hours and from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturdays.”

However, the endless practice isn’t without its purpose; after narrowly missing a placement at regionals his freshman year, he devoted himself to the sport and saw progress quickly.

“Throughout my high school career, I’ve had a meteoric rise in my fly event times,” Anderson said. “Currently, I swim a 52.99 seconds in the 100 meter fly which is a huge improvement from my earlier times.” 

However, the improvement, and increased dedication, did not come without its losses. When schoolwork piles up or friends want to meet up for the weekend, it can be a serious challenge for him to balance his academic and athletic lives.

“I think at times his time in the pool takes precedence over school and friends,” Mrs. Tracey Anderson said. “Recently, he has gotten better about balancing the two.”

While swimming so often has its drawbacks, Anderson faces them without hesitation as recently his dedication turned into a real opportunity. He was offered a four-year scholarship to swim at several universities and accepted one scholarship from the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I was honestly amazed that I had worked hard enough to compete at the collegiate level.”

Though his future is nearly secured, Anderson hasn’t eased up, still swimming just as consistently and fighting to keep balance. This distinct refusal to keep pushing is fundamental to Anderson’s growth both in and out of the pool.

“He has taken on a team leader role,” Mrs. Tracey Anderson said. “Just by encouraging and supporting the other swimmers, he has really stepped up. Even at school or with peers, it is noticeable how much better of a leader he is.”

Regardless of the temperature or time, at the crack of dawn each day, Anderson will undoubtedly be an hour into swim practice. He puts his all into the sport and school alike, serving as an important reminder that not all scholarships need to be gained through painstaking essays