STUDENT ATHLETES OFTEN HAVE TO juggle sports with the demands of academics and a social life. It can be a very intimidating atmosphere and for some, and it may be challenging to stay humble amidst success.
BIANCA BATANG IS AN EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENT AT BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN WESTMINSTER WHO EXCELS IN COMPETITIVE SWIMMING. PHOTOS COURTESY OF NIKKI BATANG
For Bianca Batang, the intimidation can be difficult as she progresses in her competitive swim abilities, but she stays strong thanks to her Catholic faith.
“I feel it strengthens me,” Bianca said. “I have to be humble about it. I don’t want to start bragging to others if I beat them and make them feel so bad, so I just stay humble.”
Bianca is an eighth-grade student at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Westminster and recently started competing at the national level. At the local level, the 14-year-old holds seven records in the Orange County Parochial Athletic League (PAL) and is hoping to set more milestones during her final swim meet this spring before she goes on to bigger things.
“I’m going to be sad,” she shared. “I just really want to compete for my school, so I’m going to make it big and go my fastest.”
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, BIANCA BATANG HOLDS SEVEN RECORDS IN THE ORANGE COUNTY PAROCHIAL ATHLETIC LEAGUE (PAL).
The PAL swim meet is just once a year, but Bianca swims six days a week — and twice on Saturdays — for the La Mirada Armada swim team. She competes in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley, where she swims two laps in each style: butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke.
Just last summer, she passed two time standards that enabled her to compete at the University of Texas in June. The experience wasn’t easy.
“Swimmers know how to bring you down and bullying is a big thing too, so you really have to have a strong mindset,” said Nikki Batang, Bianca’s mom. “I told her to just pray and be humble, because bragging and bullying don’t make you a good athlete.”
Helping Bianca build a strong foundation was one of the main reasons her mom chose Blessed Sacrament. The teachers there have become another source for Bianca to turn to for guidance.
“The reason I love this school is because the teachers are strict, but they are very compassionate,” Nikki Batang said. “She can talk to them, and they will guide her in the right direction.”
Christina Sinclair, Blessed Sacrament’s admissions director, said Bianca represents the school “in a very true way because she is kind, she is hardworking and she is humble.”
Principal Debra Daniel, who was Bianca’s first-grade teacher, agreed. “I honestly am amazed,” Daniel said. “I don’t know how she is able to balance it all and with a smile on her face, gracefully. And then she’s successful in all she does too.”
Though it was a difficult decision, Bianca will be joining Mater Dei’s varsity swim team next year. The Santa Ana campus has had 11 alumni become Olympic athletes. Before she moves on to high school, Bianca is trying to qualify for a higher level of competition, the junior nationals, where she needs to shave off just one second to her 100-yard breaststroke time.
Bianca’s love of swimming and water came from her love, and wish, to be a cartoon mermaid.
“First of all, it was Disneyland that started it,” said her mom. “She wanted to be Ariel, so she wanted to be in the water.”
This created a problem for mom, who couldn’t swim herself. So, 2-year old Bianca was enrolled in swim class. It was love at first splash. She continued her lessons, starting competitive swimming around kindergarten, but it wasn’t until this last year that Bianca decided she wanted to take it more seriously.
“That’s when I started swimming with the really older kids: 15, 18, 20,” Bianca said. “So, it started getting more serious for me. I just knew I had to be a little more mature about it.”
With a lot changing for Bianca as she goes off to high school with hopes to climb up the ladder of competitive swimming, there is one ritual she always takes part in before a race.
“I eat my grandma’s egg drop soup,” she said with a smile.