Global swimwear brand arena is pleased to announce that high school standout, and one of the most dominant age group swimmers in history, Thomas Heilman, has joined their team of elite swimmers, signing a sponsorship through the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“Coming off of a successful summer with Team USA, I am super excited to be partnering with arena. arena’s products give me the confidence to perform in the biggest moments, and I believe having the support of the arena family leading into next summer will help me be at my best. I’m looking forward to taking this next step in my swimming career with this elite brand” says Heilman of his first professional sponsorship.
Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Thomas Heilman attends Western Albemarle High School and trains with the Cavalier Aquatics swim club. During his sophomore year, Heilman won individual titles in the 50y Freestyle and 100y Butterfly at the 2023 Virginia High School Class 4 State Championships – performances that contributed to Western Albemarle’s current team championship title. Swimming talent runs deep in the Heilman family – Thomas’ older brother, Matthew, is also a highly accomplished competitive swimmer and is currently a member of the University of Virginia men’s team in Charlottesville where Thomas has verbally committed for his freshman season in 2025.
Heilman burst into the competitive swimming spotlight at the end of 2021 – then just 14 years old – when he broke an astonishing 14 NAG (National Age Group) Records in three meets over a period of just one and a half weeks. Following this remarkable performance, USA Today nominated Heilman as one of the Boys Rising Stars of the Year.
Just one year later, Thomas led-off the World Junior Record-Breaking 4x100m Free Relay at the Jr. Pan Pacific Championships. He also became the youngest swimmer in history under 52 seconds (51.96) in the 100m Butterfly. At the same meet, Heilman won silver in the 200m Fly, 4x200m Free Relay, and the 100m Free – breaking another NAG in the latter at 49.06. Following his outstanding achievements in 2022, Heilman won the SwimSwam “Swammy Award” for the 15-16 Male Age Group Swimmer of the Year.
However, the best was yet to come for Heilman. In the 2023 US International Team Trials, Thomas swam to a shocking 1:54.54 in the 200m Butterfly to take second in the event – breaking Michael Phelps’ NAG record and becoming one of the youngest men ever to make the US National Team at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In the 100m Fly, he went on to shatter his own NAG and earn another spot on the World Championship Team with a 2nd place finish in 51.19.
Competing for Team USA on his first World Championship Team roster, Heilman swam to a 1:53.82 and tied for 4th place in the 200m Butterfly – a swim that made him the fastest swimmer in history under 18 – at just 16 years old – and the 4th fastest American in the event all-time. His prelim swim in the 4x100m Medley Relay helped the US team to take the title – earning Thomas his first World Championship Gold Medal this summer.
Now in his Junior year at Western Albemarle High School, Heilman joins an accomplished roster of World and Olympic Champions swimming for arena and is the youngest athlete ever signed to a professional sponsorship by the brand in the USA. “Thomas is the youngest swimmer we ever signed in the US and we couldn’t be more excited. He has stormed onto the international stage and we believe he has a bright future” says Mark Pinger, General Manager of arena USA.
In a decorated career that has only just begun, it seems that Thomas’ amazing accolades thus far are only the start of many more to come.
Thomas Heilman (photo: Jack Spitser)
Arena has been a SwimSwam ad partner for ten years.