Olympic Swimmers Who Started Young

It is common wisdom that if you want your kids to go to the Olympics in any sport, they have to start that sport when they are little. But how little is little? Starting swim lessons for your kids when they are pre-adolescent will give them a leg up, but is nine too old? Did they need to start swimming when they were three? Have you completely killed your kids’ Olympic dreams if you didn’t start them in a Mommy And Me class by the time they were six months old?

The best way to answer this question is simply to look at when famous swimmers started swimming.

Allison Schmitt

This six time Olympic medalist started swimming when she was nine. She even thought about quitting for a while, but she stuck with it for just a little bit longer and then she was hooked.

Ryan Lochte

Ryan Lochte has 11 Olympic medals to his name. He started swimming when he was five, but he did not take it seriously until he was a teenager. So even if your child isn’t very excited about swimming lessons, there’s still hope!

Missy Franklin

The 2016 games were Missy Franklin’s first time at the Olympics, and she won four golds. She started swimming when she was five.

Michael Phelps

The great Michael Phelps did not start swimming until he was seven. He is now the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Swimming lessons can set your kids on the path of success, and they are also just a great skill for anyone to have. Swimming lessons build confidence and they teach a super important survival skill. They teach kids to overcome their fears, and they reinforce the truth that practice makes perfect. Whether or not your kid makes it to the Olympics, they will thank you for putting them in swimming lessons!