September 18, 2024
Lake Minneola’s Kai Larkin Leading In The Pool, Classroom And Community
By Kyle Coppola
Lake Minneola’s Kai Larkin Leading In The Pool, Classroom And Community
LAKE MINNEOLA – Balancing sports, academics, and entrepreneurship can be a challenge for any high school student, but for Lake Minneola High School senior Kai Larkin, it’s a way of life. As a four-year varsity swimmer and captain during his junior and senior years, Larkin has set the standard both in and out of the pool.
Larkin’s swimming achievements have been outstanding for a Lake County athlete. He competed at the Class 3A state swim meet in his sophomore and junior years, earning a spot in the finals for the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays as a sophomore. As a junior, he qualified in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM (Individual Medley), finishing ninth overall in the breaststroke and 15th in the IM. Notably, he broke Lake Minneola’s school record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.56 seconds.
Since January 2022, Larkin has been training year-round with the South Lake Aquatic swim team, where he has competed in multiple Florida State Senior Championships for both short and long courses from 2022 to 2024. His dedication and consistent improvement have established him as one of Lake Minneola’s top athletes.
Despite his focus on swimming, Larkin expanded his athletic pursuits in the fall of 2023 when he joined the Lake Lacrosse Club in Clermont. By spring 2024, he earned a spot on the Lake Minneola varsity lacrosse team, which finished as the Class 4A district runner-up. Larkin plans to continue competing for both the club and school lacrosse teams in the upcoming seasons.
However, Larkin’s accomplishments go beyond athletics. He maintains an impressive 4.95 GPA, balancing a rigorous schedule of Advanced Placement, honors, and dual enrollment courses. His academic excellence, combined with his leadership on the swim and lacrosse teams, highlights his commitment to both personal growth and team success.
In addition to his academic and athletic pursuits, Larkin is also a successful entrepreneur. He launched Kai’s Pressure Washing in December 2021, serving clients in the Clermont area. The business has grown significantly, relying on referrals and Larkin’s strong work ethic. Juggling school, sports, and his business requires discipline, but Larkin credits his ability to stay organized and his support system for his success.
(The Larkin family – From left to right: Julia Larkin, Jim Larkin, Kai Larkin and Mara Larkin.)
“The key is staying organized and having a supportive family as well as great teammates and coaches,” Larkin says.
As he heads into his final year of high school, Larkin’s future looks bright. With his combination of athletic talent, academic drive, and entrepreneurial spirit, he is sure to leave a lasting legacy at Lake Minneola High School and beyond.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
