---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an avid swimmer and was state champ…"
description: "\"I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.\" — Apolo Ohno"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png"
---

#  I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.

![“I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.” quote by Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png)

> “I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.”

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He highlights early achievement in swimming, showing dedication and talent from a young age.

**In simple terms:** He was a champion swimmer at age 12.

Key Takeaway

Start early, practice consistently.

Themes

early talent discipline achievement

Mood

proud reflective

Type

sports motivational

When to use this quote

- youth sports
- training programs
- coaching
- goal setting

Key Concepts

sports psychology developmental milestones

Questions to Reflect On

- How did early success shape later goals?
- What habits helped sustain performance?

A Different Perspective

Early success can create pressure later.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Avid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avid/) [Avid Swimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avid-swimmer-4219120/) [Champ Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champ-age-4219122/) [State Champ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-champ-3619370/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Swimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimmer/) [Swimmer State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimmer-state-4219121/) [Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming/)

## Related quotes

> [This is when I was younger and state champ!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james/this-is-when-i-was-younger-and-state-champ/)

[James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james/)

> [Perhaps fiction has, for me, served a similar purpose--what is a narrative arc if not the imposition of order on disparate events?--and perhaps it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/perhaps-fiction-has-for-me-served-a-similar-purpose-what-is-a/)

[Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/)

> [I was one of those avid moviegoers as a kid, and we didn't have video, so we went to see everything five times. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-was-one-of-those-avid-moviegoers-as-a-kid-and-we-didn-t-have-video/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [I'm an avid Boston Red Sox fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-m-an-avid-boston-red-sox-fan/)

[John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/)

> [Thank you for reminding Canada that I'm a disappointment to them. I like hockey, I love it, but I'm not an avid hockey -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-milligan/thank-you-for-reminding-canada-that-i-m-a-disappointment-to-them-i/)

[Dustin Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-milligan/)

> [As her sons have seen her: the mother in patriarchy: controlling, erotic, castrating, heart-suffering, guilt-ridden, and guilt-provoking; a marble brow, a huge breast, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/as-her-sons-have-seen-her-the-mother-in-patriarchy-controlling-erotic/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The one constant in this ever changing music business is the heartfelt and “ear to the ground” Indie Record Stores that avid music fans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-watson/the-one-constant-in-this-ever-changing-music-business-is-the/)

[Dale Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-watson/)

> [When she is older she will see in these resemblances a regrettable uniformity among individuals (they all stop at the same spots to kiss,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-she-is-older-she-will-see-in-these-resemblances-a-regrettable/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [More than 3,500 hardcover novels are published each year. Even the most avid reader buys fewer than one a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-rose/more-than-3-500-hardcover-novels-are-published-each-year-even-the/)

[M.J. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-rose/)

> [I was never the avid film watcher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghana-raj/i-was-never-the-avid-film-watcher/)

[Meghana Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghana-raj/)

> [I'm an avid bicyclist, so I catch some sun while I'm out bicycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-m-an-avid-bicyclist-so-i-catch-some-sun-while-i-m-out-bicycling/)

[Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/)

> [Gary Speed was honourable, trustworthy and a joy to manage. He was honest, he was a role model and he was a great bloke.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-wilkinson/gary-speed-was-honourable-trustworthy-and-a-joy-to-manage-he-was/)

[Howard Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-wilkinson/)

> [Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-loren/getting-ahead-in-a-difficult-profession-requires-avid-faith-in/)

[Sophia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-loren/)

> [I am an avid runner, mainly on weekends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/i-am-an-avid-runner-mainly-on-weekends/)

[Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/)

> [Greatness by nature includes a power, but not a will to power. ... The great man, whether we comprehend him in the most intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/greatness-by-nature-includes-a-power-but-not-a-will-to-power-the/)

[Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/)

## More by Apolo Ohno

> [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I've always liked game shows - the competitive aspect and the character-driven personalities you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-ve-always-liked-game-shows-the-competitive-aspect-and-the-character/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I believe my father has and always will be the strongest influence in my life, as he has guided me on many paths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-believe-my-father-has-and-always-will-be-the-strongest-influence-in/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I could never focus on my upper body as a skater, so I'm enjoying having symmetrical upper and lower body muscle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-could-never-focus-on-my-upper-body-as-a-skater-so-i-m-enjoying/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [Broadcasting is definitely in my cards for the future, and I'm determined to work hard at it - to perfect it and create my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/broadcasting-is-definitely-in-my-cards-for-the-future-and-i-m/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [My first car was a Toyota 4Runner when I was 17. I paid for it myself. I was very happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/my-first-car-was-a-toyota-4runner-when-i-was-17-i-paid-for-it-myself/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I think we should all be pursuing something of zero regrets, and how do we become greater than we were yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-think-we-should-all-be-pursuing-something-of-zero-regrets-and-how/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [The older I get, the more and more I notice I'm like my father. It's funny, because when I was younger I tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/the-older-i-get-the-more-and-more-i-notice-i-m-like-my-father-it-s/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [My girlfriend has been the ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/my-girlfriend-has-been-the-ice/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [You can't dwell on what happened. You can't live even a moment stewing in bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/you-can-t-dwell-on-what-happened-you-can-t-live-even-a-moment-stewing/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [It's an individual sport, but collectively everybody shares the same motto that Ironman stands for: anything is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/it-s-an-individual-sport-but-collectively-everybody-shares-the-same/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [I think so many times in our society we focus so much on just the end result; when we finally reach that point we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-think-so-many-times-in-our-society-we-focus-so-much-on-just-the-end/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [A lot of times, some of my best ideas happen when I'm running. That's when I do my best thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/a-lot-of-times-some-of-my-best-ideas-happen-when-i-m-running-that-s/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [For me, the '60s in the automotive industry was awesome. The cars are heavy, huge, rolling works of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/for-me-the-60s-in-the-automotive-industry-was-awesome-the-cars-are/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

[Explore all 94 Apolo Ohno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Apolo Ohno"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-champ-at-age-12/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-champ-at-age-12/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/apolo-ohno-7126_age_i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-cham_1293083.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was an avid swimmer and was state champ at age 12.” — Apolo Ohno",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Apolo Ohno",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was an avid swimmer and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-champ-at-age-12/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/i-was-an-avid-swimmer-and-was-state-champ-at-age-12/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
