What could just as exciting for 20-year-old Tucker Dupree than swimming in the Water Cube during the 2008 Beijing Paralympics? Earning a spot on the 2009 IPC Short Course World Championship team.

“It’s an honor,” Dupree said.

The 2007 Garner Magnet High School graduate is one of 20 Americans that will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Nov. 25 for the World Championship short course, where he is confident he will see the podium.

Currently ranked first and second in most of the five races he is scheduled to swim in, Dupree’s biggest concern right now is the 13-hour flight to Brazil and the three hours of turnaround time he has before getting back into the pool. It’s all about mental preparation.

“I’ve just got to be ready,” Dupree said.

It’s humbling for Dupree to be marked as one of the top Paralympic athletes in the nation, let alone in the world. He hopes to represent America well during the nine-day meet.

“You don’t just want to win,” he said. “You want to do it gracefully.”



Dupree will swim in races from Dec. 1 – 5 in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke and the 100m Butterfly.

He swam the same events in Beijing along with the 200m Individual Medley. That race will not be included in the 2009 IPC Short Course World Championship.

Family support

Another challenge Dupree faces will be the absence of his family. It will be his first Thanksgiving away from his family, so the Duprees held a special Thanksgiving meal earlier this week.

Although Dupree said it’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing his parents won’t be there to cheer him on, he will be communicating with his family a lot while in Brazil.

He had the opportunity to share the 2008 Beijing Paralympics with his family. After traveling for nearly a month without seeing his family, Dupree said it was like a breath of fresh air to see his parents in China.

“I’m glad they got to be a part of it,” he said. “It was definitely a life experience.”

Although it wasn’t all perfect for Dupree’s family. He said it seemed as if they were playing “Survivor: China” while using business cards to direct taxi drivers where they wanted to go and attempting to order from a McDonald’s that was completely different from those in the United States.

“They had to really be resourceful,” he said.

Mind over matter

Dupree said while he is excited to go to Brazil, he has to put his emotions aside and get down to business. While he will be swimming in front of nearly 14,000 people, he said he has to use his talent to make it worth spectators’ time and money.

“In Beijing, I placed fourth and that won’t happen again,” he said.

It’s that attitude that has been Dupree’s driving force since he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) in 2006. Dupree was just 17 at the time and quickly lost 70 to 80 percent of the vision in both of his eyes. Now one of the top blind swimmers in America, Dupree has never given up hope.

Now, Dupree spends the time he has out of the pool speaking to others, offering inspiration to groups like middle school students and the Governor’s Morehead School.

Dupree, North Carolina’s only Paralympian, said many do not understand what the Paralympics are – often getting them confused with the Special Olympics.

“There’s no awareness,” he said.

In other countries, Dupree said the Paralympics are highly commercialized. There even are Paralympians on fast food drink cups.

Dupree said he only found out about the Paralympics on accident after he was diagnosed with LHON.

“If it was in the public, it could help people cope,” he said.

To donate to Tucker Dupree or to schedule a speaking appearance, visit www.tuckerdupree.com.