for this young phenom.

Ian Malone first joined the Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club when he was around five, and his potential in the sport was apparent pretty quickly.

He could just move really smoothly and effortlessly through the water.

So, you know, even young, it was kind of like, you know, he had a touch that didn't come for everybody.

But when he was around ten, Ian wasn't progressing as fast as he wanted.

And coach Greg Johnson helped him realize just his talent wasn't enough.

I was like, hey, what would it take for me to get to, you know, a higher group?

And he just told me that I wasn't, you know, all that.

And I have actually do some work.

And that really struck me.

And, you know, I went to put my nose to the grindstone and got to work with it.

With a newfound determination, elite results started to follow as he reached the more seriously competitive 11 and 12 year old level 1112.

I mean, he was winning all of his events and southeastern champs, and he won Most Outstanding at 14 two.

So he's always been a contender.

He's always been a champion.

Along with the motivation from Coach Johnson, the support and expectations at home are a difference maker.

And that includes many impactful talks from his dad, Justin, about making the most of his talent as much as it sounds like I want to in the moment, but when I go back and think about it before I go to bed and practice the next morning, I do think about what he said, and I'm grateful for it, because I wouldn't be here without both of them.

I mean, my mom sacrifices a lot of time, too.

Ian reached some rare air, winning the state championship and the 100 freestyle as a junior for Booker T Washington, and especially extraordinary accomplishment in a swimming rich state like Florida.

Super proud moment for me as a coach.

And I think for our program.

You know the story.

You know, Florida high school, you know, record book is a guys that win those events.

That was my goal really is to get a first place medal at state.

And when I did it, my coaches were like, oh my gosh, you did so good.

And I was like, yeah, but there were some things on that race that I could have done better.

It took me a good ten minutes after when I could collect myself that, oh, I just saw it and actually pretty cool.

I won 100 free at state.

Not a lot of people can do that in the state of Florida, but perhaps more remarkable is what he did at the 2025 Spring National Championship event in Orlando.

Racing in the 100 breaststroke, not considered his strongest stroke, Ian finished second in the event with a time that broke the Jpac team record set way back in 1989 by Olympian Daniel Waters.

All it took was a challenge from a teammate to provide the spark.

We were talking about it and he goes, no way, you go under 56 is what I think he said.

And I was like, oh yeah.

Watch this.

It definitely wasn't on my radar that I was going to break it.

I was just trying to drop time from a 56.

I didn't know how much time I would actually drop.

Any time that we, you know, can break a 34 year old record is, pretty special.

Like, came out of nowhere is hot.

And how I don't know.

I don't know.

For Ian, his amazing progress has a lot to do with Coach Johnson.

It's a relationship he really would be pivotal a long time ago.

I said, can you please not leave?

I think that was when I was eight, and he told me he wasn't going to leave me.

He was going to be here till I see the program through.

And lo and behold, he's still here.

He's seen me have the ups and downs in this sport.

You've seen me prevail at practice.

You've seen me crash at practice.

He's been there for me the entire time, and I'm grateful for him.

I think he understands his choices.

And he understands, what's demanded of him to get what he needs and getting himself to the point of really fully accepting that and embracing that is something we can continue to work on.

It's all open the door to a Division one college scholarship.

Emerging opportunities include official visits to Ohio State and Louisville.

But wherever he ends up and even grander goal is ever present in his mind.

I don't make it on the Olympic team in the next four years.

I think about it a lot, and that's that motivates me to the point where I haven't left swim yet, because if I didn't think that I could get there, I wouldn't be here.

Because why not strive to be one of the best in the sport?