While just a freshman, Knudson swam the 50-meter freestyle (her favorite event to swim) in 25.72 seconds at the U.S. Open in early December, which is not only her fastest time, it is the quickest time recorded in her age group across the country and ranks her 14th all-time in the 13-14 girls age group.
“Millie is a laidback kid who likes to have fun with her teammates on the deck and in the lane,” shared Brownell Talbot’s swim coach Jimmy Parmenter. “But when it comes time to get on the starting block to race, a focused, competitive mindset takes over.”
This past fall, Knudson was invited to go to the USA Swimming Select Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado where she trained with swimmers across the country She learned new techniques and was impressed by the quality of both the competition and the hospitality. “The food was great, everyone was really nice, and it was a unique challenge to swim at such a high altitude.”
Knudson has been swimming since first grade and attributes a lot of her growth as a swimmer to Parmenter, “He’s a good coach who knows what he’s doing. He definitely balances fun and being tough.”
Parmenter says Knudson’s abilities are all her own. “I began coaching Millie in 2018. At age 10, she showed natural talent and a real feel for the water. Feel for the water is something you can’t teach.”
It’s not all pure talent, Knudson does a lot of practicing. Her weekly routine involves practice every day after school, every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school, and Saturday practices. Outside the pool, she embodies the BT spirit both as a student and swimmer, balancing academic excellence with an active social life and her love of all things athletic.
“The school provides a strong academic foundation with personalized support for Millie, while our aquatics program is built on discipline, a strong work ethic, and daily focus on stroke technique. Together, we’ve established Millie’s stable routine, boosting her confidence in both the pool and the classroom and preparing her for life beyond school and sports,” said Parmenter.
With that support behind her, Knudson has set her sights high. “My goal is to continue building off my current times and make Olympic trial times.”
