10-Year-Old Named Clark Kent Leaps Record Michael Phelps Held for 23 Years

A 10-year-old swimmer named Clark Kent just broke a record that Michael Phelps had held for the past 23 years.

Clark Kent Apuada competed at the Far West International Championship in California this past weekend. The young swimmer — who naturally goes by the nickname “Superman” — shattered a record that Phelps had established long before he became an Olympian. Back in 1995, Phelps competed in the same championship, where he finished the 100-meter butterfly in 1:10:48, according to a report by CNN.

Clark shaved more than a second off of that time this weekend, when he finished in 1:09:38. He is not stopping there, either. He told CNN that he intends to go all the way to the Olympics, just like Phelps. His coach, Dia Riana said that he just might have what it takes.

“This kid is unlike any other young man that I’ve ever coached,” Riana said. “He’s always stood out, he’s just, he’s kind of a savant of sorts.”

Phelps has not responded to the story on social media, though he does tend to share a lot of swimming-related news, so it could reach him in the coming days.

Clark’s parents were incredibly proud, telling CNN that their son is an unstoppable force in every arena of life.

“He does piano lessons, he does martial arts, and at school if there’s a computer class, coding, or stem programs he’s always joining,” listed his father, Chris Apuada.

However, Clark admitted that swimming is particularly important to him.

“I love swimming because I have a lot of people supporting me and my coaches are always there for me and my parents are always there,” he said.

He told reporters that he does not find it to be a struggle to balance his massive workload.

“I deal with it really well, I just have to balance,” he said. As for motivation, he said that the simplest way to get what you truly want is to focus on fun.

“Dream big,” he said, “and always focus on your dreams and have fun.”

Michael Phelps is the single most decorated Olympian of all time. He is done defending that title however, as the 2016 Olympic games were reportedly his last as a competitor. Phelps retired with a total of 28 medals — 23 of which are gold. He also holds 16 total medals in individual events, 13 of those being gold. Hopefully, in 2028, Clark Kent Apuada will take a shot at beating that record as well.