Ward Melville swimmer Brendan Miller makes a big splash: 10 medals at Maccabi Games in Israel

Brendan Miller looks more like an Olympian than a 15-year-old swimmer. Nonetheless, he’s 15, standing 6-6 and weighing 205 pounds.

While he has more work to do before trying to become an Olympian, Miller is starting to build an impressive resume — especially his results from the U17 boys events at the 2026 Maccabi Games in Israel.

“I got 10 medals: five gold, four silver and a bronze,” Miller said about his performance in the Maccabi Games. “And then I broke three meet records.”

Miller, a Port Jefferson native who is going into his sophomore year at Ward Melville, was named to Newsday’s 2026 All-Long Island boys swimming and diving team before traveling to Israel from June 29 to July 21 for the Maccabi Games. Among his five gold medals, he set meet records for the 200-meter U17 men’s individual medley (2:10.97), 100-meter U17 men’s freestyle (52.26) and 400-meter U17 men’s individual medley (4:41.52).

The Games take place in Israel every four years, but were pushed from 2025 to 2026 because of Israel’s war with Iran. They are the largest Jewish sporting competition in the world and the second-largest sports event globally, often called the “Jewish Olympics.” Every four years, over 10,000 athletes from 80-plus countries gather in Israel to compete in more than 45 sports and complete community service.

“For Brendan to have had an opportunity to compete on an international stage is remarkable,” said his father, Josh. “For him to have had the opportunity to compete as a Jewish athlete, surrounded by elite Jewish athletes from around the globe, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I think he and our family, especially, are grateful to Maccabi USA for that opportunity.”

Before winning 10 medals, Miller conceded he was “a little worried” heading into the competition because he learned Israel was bringing its national team.

That all changed once he got to Wingate Institute, which hosted the swimming meets and is Israel's Olympic training facility.

“Once we started competing,” Miller said, “I realized like, ‘I'm having a great meet, and I can beat all of them.’ ”

He did.

When Miller received his medals, the head coach of Israeli swimming presented them to him. At some point, because he got so many of them, Miller said he started joking around with the coach. But when Miller showed up early to one of the presentations, the Israeli coach needed to learn more about him.

Some of the questions Miller remembers answering: “What do you do for training? How many days a week?”

The answer? He trains two hours a day, seven days a week. And that’s not including the on-land workouts with weightlifting and body weight work he sometimes tacks on.

The Millers credited The Three Village Swim Club in East Setauket for helping shape his foundation. He began swimming there when he was 7, and has since worked diligently with Mark Anderson, Chris Brandenberger and Joe Brinkman.

Miller said he started out taking lessons before swimming competitively, beginning when he was around 11 or 12. Swimming is the only sport he focuses on.

As a 13-year-old, Miller said he was 5-7 before growing nearly a foot over the last two years. Already looking the part of an Olympian physically, Miller’s results are getting him closer to that reality.

He recently qualified for the USA Swimming Pro Swim Series, a four-star meet that sits one tier below the USA Swimming Olympic Trials, the organization's highest-level competition.

Looking forward, Miller said he’ll likely swim in college — the recruiting process will begin after his sophomore year — and that his goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials, which will take place in Indianapolis in June 2028.

Although he still has work to do to accomplish his goal, he’s set the foundation for future success. And one day, maybe, he’ll be Long Island’s next great Olympic swimmer.