Henry Gray '24 Recruiting Profile

Ever since I was little, I've had a passion for swimming, including the long hours training - something which I think differentiates me. When I'm out of the pool in August, I spend the entire month eager to return. I love the structure, the workouts, and the results. I also love competing. I have an incredibly strong will to win and am ambitious whenever I step up on the block.

The pandemic was rough because U.K. pools were closed for so long, and I couldn’t compete for 15 months; however, when COVID lockdowns finished, my trajectory shot up, and my progress in key races has been significantly steeper compared to the other fastest juniors in the UK. Combined with my talent, work ethic and determination, my coaches and I are confident I’m just getting started. Another strength is my versatility across butterfly, backstroke and freestyle over varying distances, which leaves me plenty of room to improve when I decide to specialise.

I’m looking for a university program that will help me fully apply myself and reach my maximum potential in swimming and academics. I’m an excellent student, achieving the highest possible scores on all my GCSEs (4.0 GPA equivalent) this year. I’m accustomed to balancing high academic and swimming standards, which makes US universities so attractive.

While swimming is viewed to be an individual sport, on both my club and school teams, I help create a strong sense of camaraderie which helps make us stronger as a team. I believe that my dedication and work ethic is contagious, and that I encourage my teammates to work harder and perform better. I enjoy training with close rivals where we push and inspire each other.

My ambitions include improving my collegiate team’s performance and creating a stronger group atmosphere, as well as continuing competing internationally, eventually winning an Olympic gold medal.