Annie Wohlgemuth from Ponte Vedra High School has been named our 2022-2023 ITG Next Northeast Florida Female Swimmer of the Year.
Annie grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach, where sports was a big part of the family dynamic for Wohlgemuth and her six siblings. Everyone played a sport and everyone was competitive.
Most kids are introduced to their sport through a coach, family member or mutual friend. But Annie’s story is a little different. Growing up, she suffered from knee and joint complications, and she always seemed to be in and out of an orthopedic office. Her doctor ultimately suggested two options: go through physical therapy for the rest of her life or find a sport that strengthens joints.
“Me and my mom were in Target, and she ran into her old youth pastor, who was the beginner swim teacher at BAC Aquatics,” Wohlgemuth says. “I started doing little lessons in her backyard to see if I could join the swim team for fun. She realized I had some talent, and I joined the competitive swim team when I was seven.”
After Wohlgemuth joined the team, it was love at first sight. Since then she hasn’t had any joint or knee problems and she’s been unstoppable.
This year, Wohlgemuth won her second state championship in the 100 backstroke for the Sharks. She set three LLC records in Florida and was a Scholastic All American, Academic All American and an Academic All-American consideration.
Although she’s accomplished so much in a short time, she hasn’t lost sight of the goal: her education. Her parents instilled in her from a young age that academics comes first.
“Because I have practice and lifts throughout the day, it’s really time consuming, and if you’re not dedicated to it, it’s not going to work,” she says. “Trying to balance academics is tricky; you must get your priorities straight.”
Wohlgemuth spend much of her time in the pool, but outside of it, she has a few other interests.
“I really love paddleboarding and going to the beach,” she says. “I also like doing things with my family like shopping or baking. Just being around the people that I love.”
Wohlgemuth has had much success, but it hasn’t come without obstacles. Her biggest struggle was her mental health. During the pandemic, her training facility shut down and she had to train by herself, making her feel isolated. Although swimming is an individual sport, she missed the support of her teammates during that difficult time. Having no one to push her or motivate her took a toll on her mental health.
“It got to the point where it was hard to do stuff in everyday life, even after the pandemic,” she says. “I had to start seeing sports psychologists, and I kind of wanted to quit swimming. But now I’m in such a great headspace.”
Today Annie Wohlgemuth is ready to take that newfound confidence into her next chapter – she’s committed to compete in swimming for the University of Georgia.
“They have such a great legacy with their swimming program and all their accomplishments,” she says. “I know they’re going to able to produce great swimmers. I really wanted a program to match the same team culture and dynamic that I was looking for. It was crazy to see how supportive they were of everybody.”
Congratulations to Annie Wohlgemuth, our 2022-2023 ITG Next Northeast Florida Female Swimmer of the Year.
