Working hard for the future

However, Tupper’s success in the sport hasn’t come easy. As part of the Pleasanton Seahawks’ elite training group since freshman year, he endures nine to ten rigorous practices a week, four of which start at 4:30 am.  Despite this, he still manages to achieve above 4.0 GPAs, an outstanding feat of academic and physical endurance.

“My typical school day consists of a practice before school, my school day, and then another practice right after school. This lifestyle isn’t easy, and I definitely question it sometimes. It doesn’t leave much time for homework and studying, so I try to be very efficient. I got used to the schedule pretty quickly and was able to find ways to make it work,” said Tupper.

Promisingly, these four years of hard work in and out of the pool were validated, when Tupper was recruited to be a student-athlete attending Emory University. While it wasn’t his top choice initially, a campus visit and a meet-and-greet with the coaches and swim team solidified his love for the school.

“The campus was so nice and modern, including the pool and the sport centers. I got to eat lunch with some of the swim team members, and I loved them. Overall I couldn’t find anything wrong with the school, so it was perfect for me. Right after my visit they gave me an offer, and I was very happy to accept it,” said Tupper.

Unsurprisingly, working hard day in and day out is something not everyone can accomplish without proper drive and motivation. For Hayden, his biggest motivator was the opportunity to swim at a collegiate level. But love and support from his teammates also never fell short.

“A big motivator for me has been my teammates, I definitely would not be able to get through the intense training without them. We all go through it together. There’s really no secret to success, at least for me. I just kept doing what I had to in order to reach my goal,” said Tupper.