Family tree in play for Arvada youth swimmer

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e source of Boyd Rothman’s interest in swimming depends on who’s answering the question.

“I don’t know. I just did,” said the 8-year-old Arvada resident.

His mom, Kelly, was able to ll in a few more details.

“Well, his dad is a swim coach,” she said. “Boyd used to spend his afternoons riding his big wheel track around the Colorado School of Mines pool deck and cheer on the college kids.” e young Rothman fell in the pool and bobbed with only the top of his helmet sticking out of the water.

“Nate (Rothman’s father) was all the way across the 25-yard pool with the swimmers,” said Kelly Rothman.

“A few of them took o –made record time – to pluck Boyd out of the water. His response was, ‘Now that my clothes are wet, can I go swimming?’”

Boyd eventually asked the coach – Boyd was 5 at the time – if kids his age were allowed on the team. e coach said yes, asl long as they could get across the pool by themselves.

“Boyd showed up the next day in his bathing suit, and we haven’t looked back since,” said Kelly Rothman. “And no, I wasn’t sure at the time that he could get across.” e pool life seems to suit young Rothman well. He is the top-rated 8-and-under swimmer in the state, according to an independent ranking system used by

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