Central Oregon is known for producing Olympic-level athletes who excel in winter sports but rarely do water sports come to mind. This year, an 11-year-old girl from Bend is making a name for herself in the competitive swimming arena. One of the youngest swimmers to qualify for Bend Swim Center’s competitive Silver Squad, Annika Huang was born to be in the water.
This year alone, she qualified for nine events at the state level where she podiumed and went on to qualify for Washington State Regionals.
According to Huang, she has been swimming almost all her life. “In the beginning, it was just for fun in the summers,” says Huang, “Then I took lessons and realized I really like moving through the water and having a coach to help me get better.”
By the age of three, Annika’s mother Kari Huang recalls that her daughter’s skills in the water were something special. “I could tell by watching her in the water during swim lessons and while playing at the pool in the summer, that there was a natural comfort level with being in the water compared to a lot of other kids her age. Coaches, even at that age, told me that she had a gift for moving through the water.”
By age six, Huang had joined the entry-level Red Group at Bend Swim Club but was only there a few weeks before being told she should move up to the next level. At one of her first competitive swim meets, Annika qualified for an “A” time and went to her first state championship at age six—no small feat for such a young swimmer. She has been going to state competitions ever since, where she often finds herself on the podium.
While Huang competes in all strokes, she particularly excels at the butterfly, one of the hardest of the four strokes. “From an early age, she made [the butterfly] look effortless by perfecting the rhythm and timing that is entailed in that stroke,” explains Kari Huang.
Annika certainly shines at the butterfly but competes in all the different strokes as well as the individual medley—a race that requires swimmers to be proficient in all the strokes. She has now risen to the Bend Swim Club’s Silver Squad, one level below their highest (Gold, which is geared toward competitive high-school-aged kids). At such a young age, Annika can already list some impressive, major accomplishments.
When asked which achievements she is most proud of, she shares, “I am proud of going to State and being able to podium with the best in the state. I was also super excited to make a regionals time and go to Seattle last month to compete with the best in the Northwest Region.”
Winning is only part of the thrill for this young athlete. “I am proud to be one of the youngest on the Silver Squad this year and trying to keep up with the big kids,” she explains. “It makes me a better swimmer when I am challenged by swimmers faster than myself.”
While the thrill of her success is still fresh, Annika already has her eye on the future. When asked what she is most excited about, she says, “I am excited for long course season this year and swimming with my squad and my coach.” Long course season starts in the spring and uses a 50-meter pool as opposed to the short course season where events are swum in a 25-meter pool.
Like a true team player Huang adds, “I like my friends so much and can’t wait to cheer everyone on this year and see everyone crush their goals.”
Huang has some long-term goals of her own. Looking to the future she shares, “I would like to make top three at State this July as well as in the next two years, make A Zones time.” Her ambitions don’t stop there, though. She continues, “Someday it would be fun to swim in college and maybe the Olympics! Dream big!”
This article appears in BendNest Summer 2023.
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