SwimRVA Rapids swimmer Isaac Chapman made Rapids history as he was recently named the 2025 9 Year Old Boys Swimmer of the Year, as announced by Virginia Swimming (VSI) on Monday, Sept. 8. Isaac is the first swimmer in Rapids team history to win Swimmer of the Year for any age group.

VSI recognizes 16 Swimmers of the Year annually, selecting the top individual from each age group to honor. In addition to receiving a physical award, Isaac and the rest of the Swimmers of the Year were invited to attend a swimming clinic conducted by Olympians Kelsi Worrell Dahlia and Thomas Heilman. During the clinic, VSI hosted a private luncheon for the Swimmers of the Year, where Isaac was presented his Swimmers of the Year plaque, had pictures and autograph time with Kelsi and Thomas, and was able to hear brief remarks and ask questions about their swimming experiences.

Isaac has already made a name for himself as a young swimmer, holding 14 of the 16 records for the 8 and Under age group. After turning 9, he continued to decorate the record board with his name, setting 10 team records for 9-10 boys across the short course and long course seasons. 

During this past long course season, Isaac finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country in the 50 breaststroke in addition to 10 total top-25 rankings. He was one of eight SwimRVA athletes selected to represent Virginia Swimming at Age Group Zones. At the meet, he set a new team record for SwimRVA in the 50 breaststroke and was the top 9 year old in the 50 breaststroke and the 100 butterfly. 

“Isaac has grown significantly not just in terms of his times, but in his role as a teammate”, explained his coach, Ashley Natonski. “He’s growing into a role as one of the leaders of the group as he cheers on and supports his teammates in practices and meets. Isaac loves to challenge himself inside and outside of the pool, and it’s been exciting to see his hard work pay off.” 

This award brings excitement not just for Isaac individually, but also for the Rapids team as a whole as they have collected the Virginia Swimming Volunteer of the Year, Age Group Coach of the Year, and now the Swimmer of the Year. Isaac and the rest of the SwimRVA Rapids return to the pool to kick off the 2025-2026 season next weekend at the SwimRVA Blast-Off Meet.