At just 14 years old, Roland Aaron Seprado has already made waves in the UAE swimming community. A competitive swimmer based in Dubai, Aaron recently shattered the UAE record for the 50-meter backstroke in the 14-year-old boys’ category during the 27th Speedo Invitational Short Course Meet at Hamdan Sports Complex.
“I am only son of our family. I came from a family of triathletes and scuba divers,” Aaron shares with The Global Filipino Magazine. His athletic roots run deep, starting as young as two years old when he began cycling. By age three, he had already participated in aquathlon races. He went on to join triathlons like IronKids, fun runs, and open-water swim races. “I started training for competitive swimming exactly two years ago. Being a competitive swimmer makes me happy. My family inspires me to pursue swimming,” he says. His dream? To represent the Philippines in an international competition.
A Year 10 student at Apple International Secondary School in Dubai, Aaron juggles the demands of rigorous swimming training with his academic responsibilities. “I train swimming every day. At first, it was quite challenging, but with proper time management, I am able to keep up both academics and sports,” he explains. The key to his success, he emphasizes, is the unwavering support of his family. “The important factor how and why I am able to do this is the support of my family.”
That family support extends beyond the sidelines. “My family is supporting and motivating me in all possible ways and means,” Aaron notes. “From scheduling, reminders, nutrition, financial, moral, and spiritual, they are assisting me in full force.” Their encouragement fuels his determination to excel in every competition and training session.
Now that he has broken the UAE record, Aaron is setting his sights even higher. “As a swimmer, the ultimate goal is to be an Olympian. For now, I am joining various swimming competitions locally here in UAE and will also consider international swimming competitions in 2025 whenever possible,” he shares.
