15th May 2026
Guam enjoyed a successful campaign at the Oceania Swimming Championships in Fiji, highlighted by a bronze medal performance from 19-year-old Israel Poppe in the Men’s 100m Butterfly. Across the week, Guam’s swimmers delivered a series of personal best performances while embracing the opportunity to compete against the region’s strongest athletes.
Amaya Bollinger
17-year-old Amaya Bollinger enjoyed a breakthrough championship, producing four personal best performances across the week. Bollinger lowered her times in the Women’s 50m Butterfly (30.67), 200m Butterfly (2.33.70), 100m Freestyle (1.02.78) and 50m Freestyle (28.72), while also competing in the 100m Butterfly final.
After her standout 200m Butterfly final, Bollinger talked about her race strategy, explaining that pacing was a major focus heading into the event.
“For a 200 fly, I like to plan out what I’ll do by 50, so just start out easy and then work legs and arms and all out sprint for the last 50.”
Bollinger entered the championships hoping to set new personal records and exceeded her expectations by achieving four during the meet. She spoke warmly about her experience in Fiji, describing how much she enjoyed both the competition environment and the opportunity to experience Fijian culture for the first time.
“It felt good, I really liked the pools here, I really liked how I was feeling this morning. It’s been really fun so far.”
Although she narrowly missed another personal best in the 100m Butterfly final, Bollinger remained focused on future improvement and viewed the performance as motivation moving forward.
Following the championships, she thanked her family, friends and supporters for helping her throughout her swimming journey.
Bollinger also competed as part of a special Oceania composite team in the 400m Medley Relay alongside swimmers from Palau. The relay became one of the highlights of her championships, as it was the first opportunity she had in several years to compete as part of an all-female relay team.
“I was just focusing on having fun during my swim, because the vibes before, during and after were just so good.”
Israel Poppe
Israel Poppe emerged as one of Guam’s standout performers, competing in five events, reaching the finals in all of them and recording personal bests throughout the championships. His biggest achievement came in the 100m Butterfly final, where he clocked 56.44 to secure the bronze medal.
Reflecting on the race, Poppe said his performance came down to trusting his preparation and staying composed mentally before stepping onto the blocks.
“Yes, I executed very well, to the best of my abilities. I did what I practiced, I did what my coach told me, so I am very happy with it.”
“I was in the right mental space, I wasn’t stressing out about it too much. I was just ready to swim fast and that’s what I did.”
The bronze medal added to an impressive week for Poppe, who also finished fifth in the 200m Freestyle after lowering his seed time of 2:05.34 to 1:58.48 in the heats before improving again in the final with 1:58.04. He recorded personal bests in the 50m Butterfly (25.25 ) and 100m Freestyle, where he placed sixth overall in 52.99, while also contesting the 50m Freestyle final.
Poppe, who currently trains at Bond University in Australia under a World Aquatics scholarship, said years of sacrifice and hard work have motivated him to continue improving.
“I just wanted to give it my all. I practised so hard to become faster. I left my family to go train in Australia, so it just really means a lot.”
He dedicated one of his swims to his family back home, adding a heartfelt Mother’s Day message during the championships.
The 19-year-old also spoke proudly about representing Guam on the international stage.
“It feels great to represent my nation. I’m so lucky to be a part of the islands and represent my island.”
Poppe’s swimming journey began at a young age after watching his older siblings and cousins compete in the sport. Since joining a swim team as a child, he has continued progressing through the international ranks, first appearing at senior level during the 2021 Short Course World Championships. Looking ahead, one of his biggest ambitions is to represent Guam at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Ocean Campus
Ocean Campus also enjoyed a productive championship for Guam, recording personal bests in both the Men’s 100m Freestyle (55.37) and 200m Freestyle (2.04.45). Campus also competed in the 200m Individual Medley (2.23.46) , 400m Freestyle (4.44.08), 50m Backstroke (30.41) and 50m Freestyle (25.44).
Campus said his preparation in training translated strongly into his freestyle performances, particularly in the 200m event.
“I’ve been training a lot of 200’s and getting my pace right, I think I executed it very well.”
He also reflected positively on the atmosphere at the championships, saying he enjoyed reconnecting with swimmers from across Oceania while competing in Fiji’s welcoming environment.
Looking ahead, Campus identified the upcoming Short Course World Championships in December as his next major target and said the Oceania Championships had provided valuable preparation.
Open water
Guam’s trio all participated in the Championships 5k Open Water, marking an end to their time at the Swimming Championships.
Israel Poppe regaled the event and his approach during the swim afterwards saying,
“The race felt very long but the water was nice, cool, and calm. I couldn’t see much in the water and there was some sea lice that stung everyone but other than that it was great”
“When the whistle went off and we started I told myself to not go too hard in the beginning, so I cruised for the first lap. I wanted to make every lap that I did faster than the last so I tried to build up my speed.”
It was Ocean Campus’ first time swimming a 5K Open Water race, so went in without expectations, but with a goal to find a comfortable pace that could last the entire race. Campus noted how pleasant it was to race alongside friends,
“I was able to swim alongside a couple of my friends during parts of the race, which helped me stay focused and motivated.
Despite the challenge the 5k presented, Ocean reported the water conditions as feeling good.
“During the race, I just kept reminding myself to stay relaxed, take the beginning out easy, and not think too much about the full distance ahead. I’m really happy I was able to complete my first 5K and finish strong.”
Guam’s performances across the Oceania Swimming Championships reflected the progress of the current swimmers and the promise of its next generation. From Israel Poppe’s bronze medal success to a string of personal bests from the entire squad, the championships provided valuable international experience and reinforced Guam’s growing presence within Oceania swimming.
Beyond the results, the team embraced the opportunity to compete, learn and represent their country with pride, leaving Fiji with confidence and momentum as they continue preparing for future regional and international competitions. Well done Team Guam.
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Thank you to Oceania Aquatics and World Aquatics continental support funding a new generation of Pacific Island reporters during these Championships, with eight trainees from Fiji and Samoa swimming federations working alongside The Reporters’ Academy to develop their skills, capture athlete stories, and share the voices of Pacific swimmers with a global audience.