Kaden Guzman’s swimming career began with a push from friends and quickly turned into something bigger.

“I started when I was younger,” Guzman said. “I had a couple people that were friends of mine. We were doing rec league, and they kind of threw me into rec league swimming. A couple family friends were just like, you know, he’s actually pretty good. They offered us a club that we went to, and we just sparked from there.”

That early start helped launch a standout high school career filled with accomplishments in the pool. Among his many memories, Guzman said one moment stands above the rest: his first state championship victory as a freshman.

“The one memory that sticks out the most is my freshman year,” Guzman said. “We had a great medley relay. It was Jack Bailey, Nate, Colin — or no, it was Thomas Landine. Right off the bat, we won, and that sparked the whole meet. Everybody’s adrenaline was high, everybody was ramped up. That was a pivotal moment in my career.”

Now preparing for the next stage of his swimming journey, Guzman has set ambitious goals for the future.

“My main goal is just making NCAAs,” Guzman said. “That’s the first goal I would like to obtain. Then down the road, hopefully getting some school records, pool records, is something I would love to work toward. And obviously, with the help of Coach Bowman and Coach Bam down there, going to the Olympics would be the highest goal.”

Before turning his attention to college competition, Guzman is focused on one more high school challenge. He is looking ahead to the Metro Championships next month at Millard West, where he hopes to bring home a gold medal.