Imagine swimming as fast as you possibly can through chlorine-filled water and focusing on a black line at the bottom of the pool, coming up for a gasp of air every other second. The noise of the crowd intensifies as you get closer and closer to the wall. You can barely see your opponent out of your peripheral vision. Finally reaching out and hitting the cement, the race is over. Coming up from the water and trying to catch your breath, only to find out you have just broken a school record. This was the experience of Ian Wang, 21.
On Feb. 10, Wang broke the school record in the 100 breast with a time of 57.44 seconds. A goal he had been attempting to reach for some time. The next day, he went on to break the 4X100 free relay with Braden Vincent, Tommy Johnson, and Eli O’Connor.
Wang is originally from Taiwan, but his roots were changed to Wilmore, Kentucky at age 5. His career actually developed on the same stomping ground as Asbury University, which was the Wilmore Aquatics Club summer league. He actually participated in all of the Asbury community swim lessons.
“I grew up here, so I decided to come back home,” Wang said.
His swimming career has been nothing short of successful, but there are lessons to learn from the accolades. Swimming is an overall individual sport. You compete in your own lane with the possibility of setting your own record to get your first and last name on the wall along with the fastest swimmers in school history. At one time, Wang competed for himself. This upcoming season, he has a new outlook.
“Honestly, for me, the first two years of my swimming career was focusing on myself. Junior year hit and I was just burnt out,” Wang said. “I was struggling. There was this period I did not wake up for 5 a.m. practice at least three times in a row, and the coach pulled up this chair and told me to sit down. He made the whole guys team do this insanely hard set. At the end, I was heartbroken. I looked at my swimmer and was like guys, I’m so sorry. They lifted my head up and said, ‘It’s okay, we got you.’”
After mental health struggles and some eye-opening experiences, Wang sees his career in a new light. He no longer sees himself as an individual but as a teammate. Which ultimately led to his newest achievement, captain of the swim team. In which, he has a vision for the team as a whole this season.
“If I can find a way as a captain to cultivate and find the shepherd in every person, then they live out their personality and live out their daily lives, not only in the pool but also out of the pool,” Wang said. “Encouraging teammates to model themselves as a shepherd would then make the whole team atmosphere more positive.”
Outside of swimming at Asbury, Wang has been very involved around campus. He is a film major, publicist, collegian content creator, and many other job titles. You may have seen him host the most recent High Bridge, where a film he directed won an award, How’s Ivy. Also, he was the creativity behind all the Student Activity Council’s graphics that the majority of students have seen in their emails. Swimming has helped him direct his mental focus on things outside of his athletic career.
“I think the mental tenacity swimming requires really helps me outside of the pool as well, whether it’s directing a film or writing something, being as dedicated to a line or a sentence or even leading the group of guys I have in Aldersgate,” Wang said. “Just translating that level of detail orientation and leadership can adjust the mental focus. The sport of swimming cultivates fields outside of swimming.”
Wang is taking on this new season with a different outlook. His senior season is just the start of something he believes can be great.
“I’m still on that upward trajectory. Once I get to the ‘top,’ I would share some stuff in retrospect, but right now, I am still living in it,” Wang said.
Wang is currently living in his testimony. He is hopeful to see what God has planned for him in the future.
Article written by Spencer Harvey.