1 team, 1 fish

Some kids are just born for the water.

Had Aja Grande been born a boy, her mother was going to name her Rio. That’s right, she would’ve been Rio Grande. Instead, Grande — her first name pronounced almost like Asia, and Grande like the river — didn’t think about what life in the water would mean. She just knew, long ago, that this was her home. Thing is, it hasn’t been Grande alone who knows this fact.

"She loves swimming," teammate Erin Ibaan said. "Aja does it because it’s the one thing that’s always been there all her life."

The tightly knit Raiders squad, under veteran coach Brian Lee, is 10 strong. That’s not large by some standards, but the team is competitive at the elite level because of swimmers like Ibaan, who does the 50-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke. Grande, a lanky 5-foot-8 junior, is especially valuable for her utility role. She’s always busy, netting points in five different events, a fish in the water capable of going backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly — just about anything Lee asks for.

"She’s our most versatile swimmer, which helps open up other events for other kids and helps us get our best combinations together," Lee said. "She can swim all the different distances and freestyle, so she is also valuable to us in relays."

The ILH regular season starts soon enough, and the ‘Iolani girls are ready. Last year, at the HHSAA state championships in Kihei, Maui, Grande earned two medals, including a gold in the 100 breaststroke. Her time of 1 minute, 5.33 seconds edged Waiakea’s Madisyn Uekawa (1:05.48). Uekawa is back for her senior year.

Grande was second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:06.33, second only to Punahou’s Jasmine Mau — who is also just a junior. Grande also helped the Raiders place third in the 200 medley relay and third in the 200 freestyle relay. She was a big part of those 22 points collected by ‘Iolani.

Not bad for a student with a 3.5 grade-point average and a boatload of homework every night.

"She’s qualified to swim at the junior national level, which is quite an accomplishment already, and she keeps improving. She’ll swim at college. It’s just a matter of what school, what level," Lee said.

This year, the team is nearly half of last year’s size, but the work ethic continues — not that it seems to wear anyone out. That’s what close bonding has done.

"Aja started here in ninth grade and previously had been homeschooled. Slowly, she’s started to understand the ‘One Team’ philosophy. They’re all friends and they all get along really well."

The team is also part of the school’s offseason club, coached by Bobby Brewer.

"Brian Lee is one of the best coaches in the country and Coach Bobby is awesome. He’s using a revolutionary style of workout. It’s basically shorter distance, sprinting, not just lots of laps and tons and tons of sets. Bobby has us do a hundred or 200 or so, but we’ll be sprinting it," Grande said.

The swimmers have spent countless practices and hours and neighbor-island trips together. Grande usually shows up with a big smile and, occasionally, with a useful prop.

"One day at practice, she brought a mini-accordion," Ibaan recalled. "She had a book and was learning how to play it. She played ‘Happy Birthday’ for someone. And she brings her guitar often. Oh yeah. The songs are really pretty."

Then there are days when there’s no musical instrument. On the bus. While they stretch. During breaks at practice. After practice. One of the girls, sometimes Grande, will start to sing. Then it’s two girls singing. Then a few more. Soon enough, the whole 10-girl team is wailing away to another Adele hit song.

"I don’t know anyone she doesn’t like. I met her in swimming before she came to ‘Iolani. I thought she was quiet, but she can be loud," Ibaan said. "She has her moments."

In the water, though, it’s home sweet home for Grande.

"She’s way faster than any of us," Ibaan added. "She was always fast."

Underneath all of it, Grande keeps pushing and pushing.

"She’s set lofty goals, so it’s not hard for her to reach her goals, and other people (are) going through the same thing, encouraging each other, so that helps a lot," Lee said. "She’s just very talented. Some kids, you don’t really teach it, they have a natural feel for the water and she’s one of those kids. Her build, she’s very streamlined in the water. Some of it, we can train, but a lot of it is inherited. She’s long and lean."

Chances are, she’s also probably in the water at this moment, training again. Or just dreaming of the next chance to get in.

"You need something in you. You really have to like it," Grande said. "You’re in the pool with nothing but water, but it’s addicting."

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See a video interview with Aja Grande at our high school sports blog, hawaiiprepworld.com.