Derek Ho (9) swam the 14th fastest 100-yard breaststroke in the history of all 13-14-year-olds in the Winter Age Group Championship meet in Oceanside, Dec. 14. After qualifying to compete in the championships with a time under 1:17.5, Ho swam the event in only 56.37 seconds, earning his rank. 

Last month, Ho had only just begun racing for high school meets with the varsity swim team, however his swim career started nearly a decade ago. 

When he was 4 years old, Ho started learning to swim, following in the footsteps of his four older siblings who were already competitively swimming. In the ensuing years, Ho said that he has grown to love swim. 

“I started swimming competitively when I was around 6,” Ho said. “I used to swim in the Bay Area in a club called Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics with all my other siblings. But the only reason why I was on the team to begin with is because my mom was on the [committee] and all my siblings were on the team as well. So, the coach said, ‘He’d be really good for water polo but I’ll take him.’”

Ho said that a main reason why he’s devoted himself to the sport is because of the connections he’s made on his swim teams. His schedule, balancing being a high-ranking athlete and a student at Westview, keeps him very busy, but Ho said he prefers it to having an excess of time. 

“I love my teammates to death,” Ho said. “Going to practice every day with them is really fun because it’s like a fun break from the school stuff, versus times when I didn’t have practice and I didn’t know what to do.”

Now, Ho trains with the Rancho San Dieguito swim team under a rigorous practice schedule, seven days a week. In addition to practices every Monday through Friday evening, Ho practices with Rancho San Dieguito Swim on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. 

“I have nine practices a week,” Ho said. “It’s a lot, but I try to not have many regrets in practice. [I’m] always throwing everything I have at the set and not cruising through it, like putting [my] all into every practice.”

With the incredible amount of work he puts into his swim technique daily, Ho said he can focus more on his physical exertion during the meets. 

“Definitely trying to relax to keep my heart rate low and just trying to stay calm [is my best strategy,]” Ho said. “Especially in longer distance races, you want to swim fast without having to exert yourself a lot. [To stay calm], I try to not really think about too much. Instead of thinking, ‘What if I do this wrong? What if something happens?’ I just kind of turn my mind off and race. I just stick to a game plan and see it through.”

Ho has come a long way since he first began swimming, and although his siblings have all since quit the sport, he said he plans to continue his swim career throughout and after high school. 

“I want to continue swimming because it honestly teaches me a lot,” Ho said. “[Swim taught me] how to manage my time with practice and school, how to really work at something, and the discipline to always give my everything. [I learned] how to be humble about succeeding and handling losses. You have to just take it [when you lose], shake everyone’s hand, and then get back to work.”