Kai and Karrine Leong can finish each other’s sentences, expand upon the other’s comments and laugh over memories. The Live Oak High siblings—Kai is a senior and Karrine a sophomore—have a deep bond that most brothers and sisters lack. It’s a byproduct of the two swimmers spending literally thousands of hours in the pool training together since they started from a young age.
The Leongs are two of the standouts on a Live Oak squad that continues to blossom under first-year Acorns coach Rebecca Seelos. Other top swimmers include Colin Edgar (50- and 100-yard freestyle), Jack Calvetti (50 and 100 free, 100 butterfly) and Max Klein. The Leongs’ best event—coincidentally enough—is the 100 backstroke.
In a three-way meet with Branham and Sobrato two weeks ago, Kai and Karrine each competed in identical events: the backstroke, 200 IM, 200 IM relay and 200 free relay. Both have either hit a Central Coast Section qualifying time in an individual event or are close to doing so.
Kai recently hit a section qualifying mark in the 100 backstroke, finishing in 56.9 seconds. Although the time is 7/10ths of a second off his personal-best, Leong plans on hitting around 55 seconds flat by the completion of the season. Karrine has a personal-best of 1:01 in the backstroke and is trying to hit the 59-second range.
Whatever happens this season, the Leongs are enjoying their final year of organized swim competition together. It’s been a long journey, as the two started out with Morgan Hill Splash before going to Makos and now the Santa Clara Swim Club. The two are similar in many ways, as they both laughed when talking about their foray into sports outside of the water.
“Swimmers are not good on land,” Karrine said.
But the Leongs have excelled in water polo since taking up the sport in high school. In fact, Kai averaged a whopping six goals per game last season en route to earning Blossom Valley League Santa Teresa Division Most Valuable Player honors. It was a special treat for both Kai and Karrine, who played on the same team since Live Oak combined the boys and girls team after the girls didn’t have enough players to field a squad.
Although Karrine didn’t play as many minutes last season as she was accustomed to—she averaged five goals per game on Live Oak’s girls team in 2016—she found playing tougher competition against the boys worthwhile.
“lt’s a lot more fast paced and a little tougher because the guys are stronger,” she said. “It’s a lot of good training, and if I had my choice, I’d continue to play on a co-ed team.”
Although the Leongs were chomping at the bit to take each other on in practice, things didn’t unfold that way.
“The coaches didn’t let us guard each other,” Kai said. “We wanted to, but it didn’t work out.”
Kai, who recently got accepted to Cal Berkeley, has a cumulative 4.5 GPA and is ranked fourth in the class of 2018. Karrine is on a similar academic path, as she has earned A’s in every class she’s taken at Live Oak. Although the Leongs enjoy sports, they receive equal satisfaction from volunteering their time to impactful organizations.
Kai is the school’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) president, and Karrine is the treasurer. Kai is also in the school’s recycling club and started a new Ocean Conservation club on campus. Last Friday, the Leongs volunteered their time at the Boys and Girls Club. Each year, the two work long hours doing a canned food drive in which they pack boxes and collect donations before personally delivering meals and supplies to families in need on Thanksgiving Day.
“That gives us the greatest sense of fulfillment,” Kai said.
Karrine said she’s been inspired by her brother’s dedication in whatever he pursues, and that has obviously rubbed off on her.
“For all of the work he puts in, it makes me want to do more in whatever I do,” she said.
Kai and Karrine also have a younger sister, Kasie, who is a fifth grader at Jackson Elementary School. Kasie recently qualified in her age group for the Junior Nationals in the butterfly. The Leongs credit their parents, Tom and Teresa, for providing them with undying support and never making them feel like their identity was rooted in getting straight A’s or any one thing. From sports to academics and other ventures, Kai and Karrine will root each other on, because they’re each other’s biggest fans.
