Juniors and twins at Bellevue High School, Sammy and Sophie Segerson have played a major role in Bellevue Girl’s Swim and Dive team’s success in the 2023 season. The twins were key to the team placing second at state, with Sammy placing first in the 500 freestyle with an All-American consideration time, and fourth in the 200 freestyle at state scoring the most points of Bellevue’s team. Sophie placed second in the 200 IM with an All-American time, and third in the 100 breaststroke with an All-American consideration time scoring the second most points of Bellevue’s team. Both Sammy and Sophie also led the 200-medley relay to first place with an All-American consideration time, and the 400-freestyle relay to third place.

Along with swimming for their high school, the twins also compete for the Bellevue Club Swim Team, where both have received national recognition. This year, the Segersons qualified and competed at the Speedo Junior National Championships, earned Scholastic All-American Honors, and were invited to the National Team Selection Camp where only the top 52 swimmers in the country are invited. To put their speed into perspective, their times are in the top 2% of all high school female swimmers in the country.

Their success in swimming isn’t only based on their natural talent, the twins constantly put in the work at the pool and weight room practicing 20 hours a week, including morning practices before school that require them to wake up at 4:30 a.m.

Not only are the Segersons notable athletes, but they also excel in school. Both are enrolled in all honors and AP classes. Somehow, they manage to balance their rigorous classes with a busy swimming schedule, finding success in both.

“Education is very important to me because it is the key to unlocking a world of opportunities, allowing me to pursue my passions and carve out a successful future beyond the pool. It equips me with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and contribute meaningfully to society,” says Sophie.

With Bellevue School District’s open transfer program, the twins used to be enrolled at BHS while living in Bainbridge Island. For the 2022-2023 school year, their daily routine consisted of waking up at 5:30 a.m., taking the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, taking the bus from Seattle to Bellevue, swimming after school for two or three hours, taking the bus from the pool to Seattle and finally, taking the ferry from Seattle back home. They made the commute because of the opportunity that their club team in Bellevue gave them. Bellevue Club Swim Team is a top 25 team in the country, known for breeding premier swimmers who commit to the highest-ranking Division 1 colleges and compete for the national team.

“It was hard having a tight schedule with little flexibility, but having supportive teachers and teammates helped us get through it. Commuting was a struggle for both of us but we are glad we did it because it allowed us to swim with our best friends every day and get great quality training from Bellevue Club,” says Sammy.

The future looks hopeful for the Segersons, as they have their sights set on the US Olympic Trials coming up in June 2024 in Indianapolis. Both are aiming to qualify for this swim meet where only the top 0.3% of all swimmers of any age group or gender in the country make the cut. They are only seconds and milliseconds away from qualifying in their respective events. The US Olympic Trials is the most prestigious swim meet to qualify for, a feat for any swimmer, let alone high schoolers.

“It’s been a goal of Sophie's and mine to get Olympic Trials for a very long time, and luckily, we have a lot of teammates who share that goal and are also working toward it. We all push each other every day to do our best and our main goal is to stay supportive and encouraging of one another during the process,” Sammy shares.

Not surprisingly, both Sammy and Sophie received countless Division 1 offers from top universities in the country. Sophie plans to swim and study at Princeton University in 2025 as she recently made a verbal commitment, while Sammy plans to wait a little longer before deciding where she will spend the next four years. However, with their discipline and determination, both Sammy and Sophie will be successful in the pool and the classroom wherever they attend.