Nayoung Kim

Age group: 35-40
Team: Michigan Masters
Swimming since: I first competed in a swim meet in South Korea in 2021. Since then, I’ve participated in about four swim meets each year, and it’s become a very meaningful part of my life.

Favorite event: 50 Butterfly and 50 Freestyle — I love the power and focus required in sprint events.
Favorite Masters meet: The recent Tri-State Tidal Wave LCM Masters Meet! I had a great experience and was thrilled to achieve new personal bests in my events.
Favorite set: Sprint-focused sets with generous rest intervals — they help me improve speed and technique while keeping things fun and challenging.
What they're working on: I’m currently focusing on improving my starts, dolphin kicks, and breakouts — especially in sprint events. These explosive first seconds make a huge difference in short-distance races, so I’m putting in extra effort to sharpen my technique and drop time.
Big goals: My goal is to continue dropping time in sprint events and eventually qualify for bigger meets like the USMS Nationals or even the World Masters Championships. I also want to challenge myself by competing in new events like the 100 Butterfly and the Individual Medley (IM), which I’ve never raced before.
Favorite Olympian: Katie Ledecky for her incredible endurance and discipline, and Caeleb Dressel for his explosive speed and athleticism — both are a huge inspiration!
Outside the pool: I love scuba diving, freediving, surfing, camping, golf and traveling. Exploring nature and new places brings me a lot of joy outside of swimming.