Boyd Rothman

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The source of Boyd Rothman’s interest in swimming depends on who’s answering the question.

“I don’t know. I just did,” said the 8-year-old Arvada resident.

His mom, Kelly, was able to fill in a few more details.

“Well, his dad is a swim coach,” she said. “Boyd used to spend his afternoons riding his big wheel track around the Colorado  School of Mines pool deck and cheer on the college kids.”

The young Rothman fell in the pool and bobbed with only the top of his helmet sticking out of the water.

“Nate (Rothman’s father) was all the way across the 25-yard pool with the swimmers,” said Kelly Rothman. “A few of them took off – made record time – to pluck Boyd out of the water. His response was, ‘Now that my clothes are wet, can I go swimming?’”

Boyd eventually asked the coach – Boyd was 5 at the time – if kids his age were allowed on the team. The coach said yes, as long as they could get across the pool by themselves.

“Boyd showed up the next day in his bathing suit, and we haven’t looked back since,” said Kelly Rothman. “And no, I wasn’t sure at the time that he could get across.”

The pool life seems to suit young Rothman well. He is the top-rated 8-and-under swimmer in the state, according to an independent ranking system used by SwimCloud. He holds seven team records in five events across three categories, and Rothman helped an older age group break two relay team records.

Rothman plans to be involved in track and field this season. He’s been involved before. His youth team is starting up a triathlon team.

“He also competes in Ninja competitions,” his mom said. “When he was little, he played soccer and T-ball. But nothing quite stuck like swimming. For fun as a family, we camp a ton and stand-up paddleboard. Boyd learned to paddle his own craft several years ago.”

Any issues entering the water at first?

“Nope. Next question,” Boyd Rothman said.

Rothman’s favorite race is a tie between the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-butterfly.

“I’ve never done the 200-fly, but I did it once on my own, and I can’t wait to race it in a meet,” Rothman said. “The 500 (500-yard freestyle) is my third favorite.”

“He’s a strong backstroker but doesn’t agree,” his mom said. “I think butterfly makes him feel strong and powerful, which is good. As a little man, he is often so much smaller than the big kids he swims against. Butterfly gives him that feeling of being strong and capable.”

Young Rothman’s goals are pretty simple.

“I want to break world records,” he said. “I just love to swim. I wish I could swim all the time.”