In a stunning turn of events in 2018, a 10-year-old swimming prodigy shattered a record set in 1995 by Olympic legend Michael Phelps. The prodigious athlete, hailing from Monterey County, shares his name with a famous comic book superhero and has been dubbed the “aquatic Superman” for his extraordinary achievement.
“We know that his name is Clark Kent, so it’s very obvious people will call him Superman,” said his father. And at the 2018 Far West International Swimming Championship in Moraga, California, the young swimmer proved just why that is. He bested Phelps’ 100-meter butterfly record, which had stood unbroken since 1995 when Phelps set it at the same event. Remarkably, the boy shaved 1.1 seconds off the 23-year-old record.
A YouTube video from March 06, 2019, on Whistle’s channel chronicled the surprising feat of the then 11-year-old Clark Kent Apuada. WhistleSports shared the news on Instagram as well, captioning it, “11-year-old Clark Kent is breaking swimming records that Michael Phelps used to hold. The future is bright for Superman.”
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Clark was a part of the Monterey County Aquatic Team (MCAT) and recorded a time of 1:09:38, which was more than a second clear of Phelps’ 1:10:48 record. Expressing his joy to CBS, the youthful swimming sensation said he was thrilled about his accomplishment. “Being a Michael Phelps record breaker is amazing, because Michael Phelps is one of the largest swimming icons in the world.”
Not only did he outperform the record of the 23-time Olympic gold medalist, but he also received a congratulatory message from Phelps himself. “Big congrats to #clarkkent for smashing that meet record!!! Keep it up, dude!!#dreambig.” His coach, Rianda, went on to say, “It’s the coolest thing in the world because that’s all he talked about.”
In addition to his record-breaking feat, Apuada demonstrated his prowess by winning six other races at the meet. If you’re wondering what, other than determination and drive, helped the youngster become as good as he is, part of it was because of martial arts. Clark Apuada regularly went to karate classes to build not just discipline but also endurance. Discussing how this aspect of his life helped his swimming skills, Clark’s swimming coach said, “I think his karate has done a lot for his swimming.”
Looking ahead, he eagerly anticipates the opportunity to compete in the Olympics once he reaches the eligible age. His coach recalled, “It wasn’t like, ‘I want to be better than Michael Phelps,’ or anything like that. His first goals were, ‘I want to be a scientist, an Olympic gold medallist for the United States, and I want to be a black belt.’ He’s on track for all three of those.”
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Young swimmer Clark Kent set eyes on Olympics 2024 and 2028
Apuada’s winning moment came after a long path to excellence. At the 2018 Far West International Championship, he won every category he participated in. His coach praised him and said he has the ability a “15, 16, 17-year-old would have.” Apuada’s performances were appreciated by the local community as well.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has declared September 18 as ‘Superman’ Clark Kent Apuada Day. Clark called it “one of the most memorable days” of his life. However, his career faced a significant setback during the pandemic when his swimming club shut down. In these challenging times, coach Rianda provided invaluable guidance to help the young athletes stay active, healthy, and engaged while fostering a positive and enjoyable attitude toward sports.
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Her home-based program for Clark Kent and his teammates incorporated creative exercises using household items like canned goods as weights and toilet paper rolls as markers for agility drills, along with diverse activities such as kickboxing, Zumba, country line dancing, and salsa.
After his 2018 win, he made his intentions for the future clear, saying his next goal is “Paris 2024 or Los Angeles 2028. This record has motivated me to keep swimming, to keep striving, and do everything I can to get to that elite level.” Though there aren’t any confirmed sources on whether Apuada is looking to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, we will surely wait for his appearance at the LA Olympics in 2028.
