He slaps his thighs and gets on the block. ‘Beep!’ The silence is pierced. The rush of air envelopes his body as he jumps and makes contact with the water.

Rotating his limbs against the ripples, the sounds around him are muffled. Breathless and kicking hard, junior Simon Hutchinson finally reaches the wall.

Before he knew it, his love for the sport started to feel familiar and sincere. Looking up through the water at his friends’ and family’s distorted silhouettes, he’d realized that swimming was more than just a household chore: it was something he genuinely loved.

Taking it in for one final moment, he lifts his head above the surface, and all the sounds around him become clearer, sharper. He just qualified for state.

Starting this year, Hutchinson steps into the role of a two-time state qualifier for Tennessee High’s swim and dive team, the Aquavikes, in the freestyle event with a time of 23.15 seconds.

Hutchinson’s swim journey began at the age of 8, when his parents made him sign up for swim in elementary school.

But this involuntary decision left Hutchinson without a passion for the sport, and was what ultimately led to him leaving the water in 5th grade to pursue soccer. Still, something kept beckoning him back.

“I think deep down I really missed it, you know, like the competing, the winning is obviously the best part, but I really, really, missed swim,” said Hutchinson.

Without quitting soccer, he ended up coming back to swim during his freshman year of high school.

“I think what I missed was striving to do well in something and to do well with people, like my siblings, and friends,” said Hutchinson. When he left, he “missed the feeling of being good at something, [and] growing with [his] siblings and [his] friends.”

Many factors may have contributed to the adversities Hutchinson has faced, but these challenges have further fueled his growing passion for the sport.

“Honestly, I would say it’s kinda like a drug,” said Hutchinson. “It’s addictive and gets my adrenaline going,” said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson knows all too well that victory is often rooted in hardship. During his sophomore year, he suffered two right ankle sprains and one left wrist sprain, hindering his progress in and out of the pool.

But that same year, the Aquavikes lost a pivotal part of the team, the seniors.

“It feels like we lost a huge presence on the team with some of the seniors [leaving] these past few years,” Hutchinson said. “They have been supremely helpful to the team not only point-wise and swimming-wise but also motivation-wise.”

However, through strong currents, Hutchinson has been able to navigate and strengthen himself in the waters.

“People, seniors, everyone moving away [and] never seeing them swim again, [swim] kinda just made it feels like it all goes away,” said Hutchinson.

That same year, he gained a new connection with current senior Cayden Williams that goes deeper than just a friendship, flourishing into mentorship and brotherhood.

“Cayden Williams [has] been my biggest role model throughout the past 3 years; he’s really pushed me to be the best I can be,” said Hutchinson.

This year, Williams also qualified in the 50-yard freestyle. The two motivate each other to improve by training side by side and qualifying side by side.

“We’re both fast and I think we try and like to beat each other,” said Williams.

Not only has swim been a way for Hutchinson to find his family, but he’s also been able to find a way to truly go beyond a challenge.

“Despite our massive height difference, [qualifying next to Williams] made me feel on equal flooring with him,” Hutchinson said. “Love him to death, but, of course, I’ve been trying to catch up to him. He’s my role model.”

Hutchinson has been working hard for the qualifications through eating, swimming, lifting, and recovering through the guidance of head swim and dive coach Katie Sword.

Sword remembers last year, when it occurred to Hutchinson that state wasn’t so unattainable.

Amidst his relentless practicing, he realized that he had become a role model for underclassmen, similar to the mentorship that he received from Williams.

“He is not only a talented swimmer, but he is also a kind and encouraging teammate and person,” said freshman swimmer Lily Sah. “He let me walk into my first practice with him because he knew I was nervous.”

Hutchinson’s actions, whether it be joking, teaching, or even simply talking, have impacted many of the new and incoming members as they begin their swim journey.

He has expressed that they’ve made him feel immensely appreciated on the team, but as much as he appreciates their admiration, he hopes that they “be themselves … [and] make state in their own events.”

While some swim towards the shore, Hutchinson explores the depths. Through mundane, yet crucial steps, he continues to work to break school records and hopes to swim after high school.

Olympian Caeleb Dressel—one of Hutchinson’s role models—knows that reaching for the deepest waters has required much more than just a drive, it requires adhering to essential steps, unwavering discipline, and mental fortitude.

“People want to dream up this big, giant goal without putting the stepping stones along the way, and for me, that’s what gets you to that giant goal,” said Dressel.

This story was originally published on Maroon and White on November 19, 2024.