By Patrick Lujan

13-year-old Joshua-Ryan Lujan is making strides of someday swimming for Team USA.

The former Mangilao resident and current Oklahoma state champion garnered tw0 silver and a bronze medal over the weekend in the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Being the first group to make it to Junior Olympics for the Ft Sill Seals was very honoring and exciting,” the young swimmer said. “Participating in the 2014 JO in Iowa was nerve wrecking not knowing what the competition was like.   The competition was stiff with several fast swimmers from different states.  I think that the training I did prior to JOs helped a lot in how I performed.”

Lujan, who has been swimming competitively for just a couple of years, entered a plethora of events and came away with five medals in the 13-14 age division:

Joshua-Ryan Lujan gets ready to tread the waters of the AAU Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa. (photy courtesy of Johnny Lujan)

According to his mother Janille, Josh started swimming at age two but didn’t start competitive swimming until he was 10 while his father Johnny was stationed in Oklahoma.

“Born in Hawaii, his love for the ocean is in his genes,” his mom said. “Living on the mainland, the closest he gets to water is a pool.  One day he saw the Ft Sill Seals practicing and decided to try out.  Initially the coaches weren’t impressed, but saw a potential swimmer.  They admit that  they didn’t foresee him coming so far.”

“We’re so proud of him,” said Joyce Lujan Kraus, Josh’s auntie. “The whole family wishes we could be there to support him. He had so much energy as a young child growing up on Guam. It’s good to see that energy turn into medals at that level of swimming.”

Josh’s parents Johnny and Janille Lujan both graduates of JFK High School in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

The family will be relocating back to Hawaii soon where Josh will have to re-establish himself as he shoots for his ultimate goal of making it to the 2016 Olympic Games.