Fish Out of Water: Swimming a constant in Evergreen sophomore’s travels

“He lets his swimming speak for him,” Evergreen swim coach Mark McBride said. “When I say it’s time to go fast, he kind of gives me a little shake of the head and goes.”

Zablotoviskii hit state-qualifying marks in the 200 freestyle (1:50.44) and the 100 backstroke (55.34) in early December. Since then he’s notched qualifiers the 200 individual medley and the 100 free. In his first year in the program he’ll compete at the boys State Swimming & Diving Championship at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way in mid-February.

Through it all, the pool has been his haven as he transitions to a new life in America.

He started swimming when he was six, and in Russia — specifically the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia near Kazakhstan’s Northern border — had an entire wall of his home adorned with swimming accolades. In recent years, he would practice up to three times per day.

At Evergreen, teachers and coaches describe Ilia Zablotoviskii as independent, smart and quiet. Even with the language barrier,

He likes to keep to himself, and speaks up when spoken to — traits likely bolstered by being a

But in the pool, Ilia Zablotoviskii is all smiles.

“He’s been a pleasant addition,” McBride said. “He works hard and pushes the other boys. They have fun together. Even with the language barrier, he understands more about swimming. Sometimes when we’re talking about things out of the pool it’s a little harder. That’s where Google translate comes in.”

Zablotoviskii is the oldest of three siblings. His family moved to the United States in April to pursue better healthcare for his youngest sister, Angelina, 12, who has undergone several surgeries at OHSU to fix her seven heart defects.

After doctors in Russia told his father Ivan Zablotoviskii that he could not help his daughter, Ivan Zablotoviskii looked to the U.S. for hope.

“When we came here (in 2015) she was very bad,” Ivan Zablotoviskii said. “She was blue, she couldn’t walk too much.”

OHSU doctors told the Zablotoviskiis that the operations extended Angelina’s life by 10 years, but that in early adulthood she may need a heart transplant.

“We don’t know,” he said,” but 10 years is good.”

Upon their return to Russia, they immediately applied for the U.S. via lottery program, which accepts roughly 50,000 immigrants per year, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website. They did so knowing they would need to be close to long-term treatment for Angelina. The family waited nine months before their application was accepted.

In the months leading up to their set departure, the election of President Donald Trump presented a concern, due to his expressed intentions to tighten immigration. But the Zablotoviskiis eventually moved to the U.S. without a problem.

After five years in the U.S., the family can officially apply for citizenship, Ivan Zablotoviskii said.

In Vancouver Ilia doesn’t have extended family, but they have family friends in Vancouver’s Russian and Ukrainian communities. Ivan Zablotoviskii is a pastoral assistant at their church, the Ukrainian Baptist Church.

“The most what I want for my kids is that they will be good people and good Christians,” Ivan Zablotoviskii said, “(Ilia) knows also that his faith gives him purpose and he knows where to go. … It doesn’t matter where we live, (our faith) is the main purpose. If we live in America, we try to make what’s best for our kids.”

Angelina is back in school and, as her father describes, “almost running.” She has learned English the quickest, he said.

For Ilia, and his other younger sister, 15-year old Anastasia Zablotoviskii, learning English has been a slower process. But it’s something Ilia, who is already soft-spoken, has come to embrace.

“It’s not that hard to speak to other students and friends,” Ilia said through translator Dmytro Shcherbyna, a fellow sophomore at Evergreen. He says he has friends who speak Russian, like Shcherbyna, in all but two of his classes, which he didn’t expect. And he enjoys school.

But he especially embraces the social aspects of swimming.

“When I go to swimming competitions we are in camping tents together — I have more friends,” Ilia said. “When I go to competitions we talk. It’s fun.”

Plus, he has two Russian-speaking teammates.

In his class for non-primary English speakers, he brings an unassuming quiet demeanor. And his English Language Learner teacher, Lyudmila Dyachenko, noted that he excels in grammar, spelling and is a quick learner. She did not know he was a swimmer until a coach told her recently. But she believes the individuality of the sport suits him.

“That’s his personality,” Dyachenko said. “He’s very by himself. It’s very individual. He’s like that. Maybe sports even helped to polish his personality.”

Dyachenko of all people understands the role sports plays in a high school immigrant’s life. Her son Rod Dyachenko immigrated from Russia when he was 12, attended Mountain View and was a standout soccer player. He eventually played for UNLV and was drafted by Major League Soccer club D.C. United.

Lyudmila Dyachenko says he adjusted to American culture faster because of soccer. “It helped him,” she said.

So it’s no surprise to her that Ilia’s hard work in the pool and in her ELL classroom go hand-in-hand.

Ilia said he hopes to swim at the collegiate level — a reality he was made aware of months ago. Growing up, he watched American swimming.

“He always watched American swimmers and dreamed if it is possible to be in America and train there,” Ivan Zablotoviskii said.

But his dream won’t come without hard work.

“It’s not easy for him,” Ivan Zablotoviskii said. “He’s training, he’s learning. He said that he must, because he sees that if he wants to be successful in swimming, he must be successful not only in swimming, in studying because he wants to go to college to study there. He knows swimming is not alone what he wants in his life. For now, swimming is the main thing.”