Hunter Payne '24 Recruiting Profile

At an early age, I was diagnosed with speech dysfluency- a condition that makes it more difficult for me to communicate verbally in an efficient manner.  Although this condition has slowed my ability to speak quickly, it has not affected my ability to learn.  Rather than hide behind this condition, I decided to not let it affect my opportunities moving forward.  I completed french immersion in middle school and continued on with both languages in high school where I've maintained a strong GPA.  That same determination is what drives me in the pool.  At age 15, I was the fastest in Canada at the 1500M freestyle after only having done the event three times.  Since then I've spent countless hours getting stronger and faster and this has fueled my desire to make the Olympics as a distance swimmer. My immediate goals are to finish high school, and move on to university where I can achieve academic success and compete at the highest level possible.