Westmoore’s Ethan Hoang
By Valerie Cerda
For Westmoore swimmer Ethan Hoang, swimming has always been an important part of his life.
“I’ve been swimming since I was 10 years old,” Hoang said. “What first got me into swimming was my dad and my sister. On weekends, my dad, sister, and I used to swim together.” Hoang said.
Putting in extra effort and showing up to club and school practices paid off for Hoang, as not only did he not only grow as an athlete, but he also grew mentally. Hoang specializes in the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke.
Hoang’s week consists of being under the water, pretty much every day. If Hoang isn’t at club practice for club, he’s swimming at the YMCA for school swimming.
“A typical day of training for me is swimming with my club, Sooner Swim Club, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and swimming with Westmoore on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,” Hoang said.
Balancing both teams while still being a top student is not an easy task, yet Hoang makes it look achievable for anyone.
“My biggest challenge has definitely been balancing school and swimming. I overcame this challenge by setting reminders for the tasks I need to accomplish each day,” Hoang said.
Despite the obstacles and challenges faced throughout the week, one thing makes it worth it- pizza after swim meets.
“The best thing about being on the Westmoore swim team is the pizza on the bus rides home from swim meets,” Hoang joked. “And of course, the friendships,” Hoang said.
These friendships are much more important than post-meet pizza on the bus- they’ve helped Hoang work hard for what he wants.
“My favorite memory from my high school swimming career is qualifying for state with my friends Jack, Andrew, and Anh Hao in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays,” Hoang said.
Although taking a medal home is something everyone wishes to obtain- it’s not all about the trophies- it’s about motivation.
“My biggest inspiration in swimming is my friends. They motivate me to improve and get faster so I can DESTROY them at meets—in a friendly way, of course,” Hoang said.
Before these exciting meets, Hoang enjoys listening to his sister’s playlist, which includes genres like Reggaeton, EDM, R&B, and Rap.
Although Hoang doesn’t plan to swim competitively in college, the sport will always be a part of his life.
“I still plan on swimming, just not at the college level,” Hoang said. “Swimming definitely takes time to get used to. Unlike other sports such as baseball, football or soccer, your head is in the water most of the time, so you have to learn how to control your breathing and get used to the feel of the water. The most important thing is to stick with it,” Hoang said.
Westmoore’s swim season runs from Sept. 28 to Feb. 21, and even when the season ends, Hoang doesn’t slow down. During the off-season, he continues to swim with Sooner Swim Club—proof that swimming is much more than a sport for Hoang.
