“Continuing the Funderburke legacy” – Big ten champion swimmer Nyah Funderburke opens up on her vision
Nyah Funderburke, a sophomore at Ohio State, had one of the most unusual swimming careers in recent memory, going from not on the team to Big Ten champion in just one season.
Speaking about the Funderburke legacy, Nyah said:
"But I’m like, no. I’m here and I’m swimming. I would say that I myself, individually, have found my own niche being here at Ohio. I’m continuing the Funderburke legacy, but I’m also writing my own Nyah Funderburke legacy."
Nyah Funderburke has to live up to her family's legacy
When Nyah made the decision to enroll at Ohio State, her family was already left with a profound influence. The same achievement was made 31 years earlier by her father Lawrence Funderburke, a talented basketball player who led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the Big Ten title in 1992 and subsequently played eight seasons in the NBA.
Yet, Nyah Funderburke is not the only one there to finish the job her father started. She has been swimming for Ohio State for two years and counting, creating her own Funderburke legacy that began when she was an unranked recruit, advanced to when she became a 2023 Big Ten champion and may finish up with even more notable triumphs in the future.
Funderburke did not even pay attention to the 100 backstrokes until she was a junior in high school, the event in which she went on to win a Big Ten championship this season as a sophomore in college. She really thought of herself as more of a butterfly and sprint freestyle swimmer.
She excelled in both events back then, taking first place in the 50 free at the Ohio High School State Championships and having a personal record of 23.46 in the 50 free and 55.78 in the 100 flies as a sophomore. Her powers in those competitions, however, were far from what she would later become as a backstroker.
Over her final several high school events, Nyah Funderburke's increasing focus on backstroke training was evident. Her personal best in the 100-meter backstroke was 55.48 in the fall of her junior year, and she improved to 52.92 at the conclusion of her senior year.
6th place in the 400 Freestyle Relay! Congratulations Nyah Funderburke, Ava Fortney, Riley Murphy & Julianne Aslaner! #swimming #nedreeb #proudtobeaunicorn https://t.co/ikqEtubJuk
Before the 2022 Big Ten Championships, she had a 54.51 season-best, but because she was not on the scoring roster for conferences, she could only compete in the preliminary rounds as an exhibition swimmer and would not get any points for her team.
Nyah Funderburke had success in the 2023 Big Tens as a result of that. She shocked herself in the 100-meter back prelims by winning the event in 51.44, a personal best, and taking first place, giving her a good opportunity to go to the finals. With a time of 51.52, she triumphed once more in the finals, defeating the competition and winning the Big Ten championship.
Nyah has no idea where her swimming career will lead her, but one objective is to inspire other black female swimmers, a group that is notably underrepresented in the sport, to strive for success.
However, Nyah Funderburke wants to make her own name and not only be connected with her father. She's already accomplished a tremendous trip from being left off the conference scoring roster to a Big Ten champion this year, but she's not done.