After learning how to swim at a young age, Hudson Pepper knew that swimming was going to be a huge part of his life. “My first real love for swimming started at the age of eight and under championship meet in upstate New York,” Pepper told The Pilot. “I knew I wanted to join a competitive swim team when I was seven years old.” Ever since, he’s been accepted to a vast variety of swim teams and has been able to participate in a multitude of championships.
From the surface, swimming may look easy, but in the water, it’s a race against time. Setting new personal bests stems from hours of consistent training, even when swimmers like Pepper feel like they’re fighting to maintain determination.
“I have spent the last 13 years of my life swimming daily with the same enjoyment and passion I’ve had since the first day I ever stepped foot into a pool,” said Pepper.
The challenges of swimming notwithstanding, Pepper is grateful for the ways swimming has enriched him and evinced his true potential as a leader.
“During our last ever playoff meet, the atmosphere was electric…and that really motivated me to want to lead our team the furthest I could as the captain,” Pepper told The Pilot.
What Pepper is most grateful for, however, is the relationships he forged with his teammates and the community he feels a part of when he attends a practice or swim meet.
“Our practices at Fort included playing team sports such as water polo as the season came to a close,” he said. “This was extremely memorable to me because it wasn’t just the swimming; it was the bonding and the friendships I created with other classmates throughout my years at Fort.”
As a competitive swimmer, Pepper believes in taking risks and embracing challenges; he wants his peers at Fort Hamilton to take advantage of the many extracurricular activities the school offers. Participating in the school community, according to Pepper, is the best way for a student to optimize their high school experience.
As the Boys’ Swim season comes to an end, Pepper is considering taking a gap year and fully focusing on swimming in hopes of applying and getting recruited for a Division 1 swim team at a top university. If his gap year works out successfully and he swims all four years at college, he’d like to pursue swimming as a profession — whether it’s competing in the Olympics or running his own swim team.
“Being given the role of captain as a junior and now a senior encouraged me to step up as a leader, take on responsibilities, and challenge myself to the fullest,” he said. “I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and have found new confidence in myself. I’ve grown tremendously academically and athletically as a person since freshman year. Joining the varsity swim team was one of the best decisions I have made so far in my life.”
When asked to impart words of wisdom onto his peers at Fort Hamilton, he said, “Always believe in yourself, work hard, and never take yourself too seriously because life should be enjoyed.”
