Is Nemo really like Nemo?
Junior Nehemiah Rhee, also known as Nemo, clearly lives up to his name. As a competitive swimmer, Nehemiah has been working his way to the highest rankings in the state and nation for the past 11 years.
At the age of five, Nemo began swimming and has continued to this day on the Wyckoff YMCA Sharks swim team. Through a strict regimen and determination, Nemo has progressed to the highest competitions in New Jersey.
While swimming year round, his weekly routine includes seven days of two and half hours of swimming and one hour of lifting after. On Sundays, Nemo has to be at his session from 5:30 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.
Nemo wants to pursue swimming in college, but will likely stop swimming competitively after college. He says, “I love the aspect of being able to get in the water with my friends because while it is competitive, it also teaches you life lessons like discipline, managing your time, and being patient.” His favorite memory is getting his first national qualification time as he worked very hard for it, and had previously failed six times by two-tenths of a second. On the contrary, his worst moments include whenever he loses because while he is grateful to be placed at these meets, he does not like the feeling of knowing that someone is better than him, and thus he is always working to be the best he can be.
He has the aspirations to be in international meets, but has not qualified yet. At a recent competition, he had the opportunity to make a name out of himself, and he succeeded. In the 100 butterfly, Nemo obtained a time that ranked him second in New Jersey. In the past, he has gone to a total of 5 nationals, which are twice a year in August and April. In the 100 butterfly, he ranks 259th in the nation.
Nemo adds, “I can hold my breath for 3 minutes,” almost as long as the real Nemo!