Next Michael Phelps Could Be From The Philippines

Two Filipino-Americans are now perceived as the next Michael Phelps.

Chloe Kennedy Anne Isleta, a Filipino based in the United States, is currently regarded as Phelps’ protégé. Isleta would have represented the Philippine swimming team as early as four years ago but decided to forego plans and made herself more equipped in time for her first Southeast Asian Games competition.

According to Fox Sports Philippines, the one-on-one training Isleta had with Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time who won 28 medals in the greatest multi-sports show on earth, has been the highlight of her swimming career.

Cecille Doromal-Waller, the mother of the U.S.-based swimmer, wrote and disclosed how Phelps helped her daughter become a much improved and more efficient swimmer. As per Doromal-Waller, when Isleta was in her sophomore year with the Arizona State University Sun Devils, Phelps was a volunteer coach and the Olympian himself worked on her daughter’s strokes.

“Michael was a volunteer coach for ASU, alongside Head Coach, Bob Bowman. Michael had personally trained Chloe one-on-one during her second year at ASU with her specialty stroke, the backstroke. Michael worked with Chloe and tweaked her strokes,” Doromal-Waller wrote.

Doromal-Waller added that in that same year, the Filipina tanker broke the university record for 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter individual medley. And it was mainly because of Phelps implementing hip and stroke correction on the Filipino athlete’s swims.

“In the 200 Individual Medley, the second stroke is the backstroke. So, that stroke technique tweak by Phelps also helped her backstroke leg in the 200-m individual medley,” Dormal-Waller added.

Another Filipino-American is also being considered as the future Phelps. At a very young age, Clark Kent Apuada is already living up to his name.

The 10-year-old kid broke a 23-year-old record previously held by Phelps when the former competed in the 10-and-under age group of the Far West International Championship in California.

Apuada, who swims for the Monterey County Aquatic Team, clocked in at 1:09:38 in the 100-meter freestyle, more than a second faster than the 1:10.48 set by the American sporting legend in 1995.

Apuada started swimming at 4 years old but had just been into competitive swimming since he was 6. As early as now, the talented kid has already set his sights for the Olympic Games, hoping to be one of the best someday, ABS-CBN Sports reported.

"I love swimming because I have a lot of people supporting me and my coaches are always there for me and my parents are always there," Clark said.