It’s one thing to be small in stature, but being almost a full two years younger than everyone else in the freshman class can’t be easy.

If there’s anyone who can handle the attention however, it’s just-turned 13-year-old Isaiah Wright.

Wright, who is a freshman at Sedona Red Rock High School, is one of the top up-and-coming swimmers for the Scorpions.

Yes, he is 13. He turned 13 on Sept. 23, more than likely making him the youngest varsity swimmer in the state of Arizona at any level.

Most kids at the age of 12 aren’t starting their freshman year in high school. Usually, a 12-year-old is playing Little League baseball, or finding his or her way around the halls of seventh grade in a middle school somewhere.

Not for Wright, who seems to have adjusted quite nicely to his accelerated life. He started preschool a year earlier than most kids, and eventually skipped second grade.

A Cornville native, Wright went to St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Cottonwood from third to eighth grade.

He decided to pick Sedona for high school because the Scorpions have one of the best swimming programs around, and it happens to be his favorite sport.

“I went to Red Rock over Mingus because the campus is way nicer, and the swim team in Sedona is really good,” Wright said as he sat in a chair inside the Sedona Community Pool office.

At just over 5-feet tall, Wright tips the scales at 85 pounds. He always has time to chat with anyone wanting attention themselves, as he held a few conversations with teammates while being interviewed.

Obviously, Wright is smarter than the average 13-year-old, but he doesn’t let his younger age bother him too much.

“At first, I was so nervous when I came to Sedona. I didn’t know the people, and sometimes it stinks being so much younger than everyone, but I’ve been keeping up,” Wright said with a smile. “By now, I’m used to being younger, and I’ve adapted to it well.”

As a swimmer, Wright can handle all the strokes, participating in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events for the Scorpions. Wright can handle the butterfly, the breaststroke and the backstroke with ease.

During his free time, Wright likes to hang out with his friends by going to the creek or going to the movies.

His favorite movie right now is ‘Real Steel,’ a picture depicting a young boy who controlled a boxing robot in an adult world. Wright said it best sums up his life at the moment.

“It showed a small, young kid coming up and beating everyone else. I can relate to it,” Wright said.

Wright has two younger sisters, Tierzah, 9, and Tievahh, 7, both of whom play soccer, participate in ballet and go to the same school he did at St. Joseph’s.

He hopes one day to be a state champion swimmer, and he might get his chance next week when the Scorpions travel to the Division II State Championships on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5.

“I’ve played other sports like baseball and soccer, but swimming is what I love to do,” Wright said.