There are so many things that you have taught me, helped me through, and given me that I could probably write a couple hundred-page book on it all. Every time I told myself and you I couldn’t do something you didn’t believe me, and you pushed me to achieve my goal every single time. From pull-ups to sets in the pool somehow you would get me to do things that I never even dreamed were possible. There is no one that motivates like you do, you know how to bring the best out of people, you are fun, always happy, energizing to be around, you make me want to be a better person, and you just generally make every day brighter.

Being the lightest and weakest kid in the pool took its toll on me. The summer before my senior year I was hesitant to start training outside of the pool, but the second I got on the phone with Eric Hudson I knew exactly what I needed to do to get to the next level in swimming. Just in that summer alone, I put on 15 pounds of muscle, and an immeasurable amount of confidence. Eric had me set “impossible” goals for myself heading into a meet in October, including the crazy concept of dropping 4 seconds in my 200 backstroke. I almost laughed in his face. In October of 2016, I swam my 200 backstroke in a time of 1:53.45, a 7 second drop from my previous best time. The best part about this swim was looking up in the stands and seeing Eric standing there, screaming his head off as if I had just broken a world record. In my freshman year at Rowan, I was able to win the Metropolitan Collegiate Conference Championships in the 50 freestyle in a time of 20.55, drop 3 more seconds in my 200 back to go a 1:50.8, and I even got the opportunity to travel and swim at the Division III NCAA Championships in my first year. Eric Hudson has been without a doubt the greatest teacher, and one of the greatest friends I have ever come to meet, and I can’t thank him enough for that.

When I started doing dryland with Eric, I was an eighth grader unaware of my potential as a swimmer. Eric pushed me past my limits and helped me become the swimmer I am today. In the matter of a year, I had already dropped one second in my 50 free, four seconds in my 100 back, and 19 seconds in the 200 back. I achieved three YMCA National cuts as a thirteen-year-old, which was pretty significant. In the next two years of working with Eric, I achieved three more national cuts and even qualified for finals in the 100 back. If it wasn’t for Eric, I would never have realized the importance of strength training and had the proper guidance to improve myself. His initial belief in me led me to become a four-time National champion, an IHSA state champion, an Olympic Trials qualifier, and an SEC champion. I truly believe that if Eric never pushed me to become a better swimmer years ago, I would not be a swimmer at the University of Tennessee.