Name: Connor Forsythe
UNCW Swimming & Diving Class of 2020
Events: 200 Fly, 100 Fly, An occasional 500 Free
Degree: Marketing – Sales
Profession: Senior Restaurant Insurance Advisor
Current residence: Wilmington, NC
What is your favorite memory of being part of UNCW’s Swimming & Diving program?
There are too many great memories to pick just one, so here are the highlights:
• The B relay beating the A relay at mid-season in 2017
• The spontaneous mid-day Hillsdale darty when Dan Forrester showed up
• The PP
• Questing for the Quad
• Dropping a toilet off the 3rd floor of Suite P
• The bench flying off the Oceanic Pier post–mid-season
• 10 x 200s
• The Arctic Storm of 2018
• Falling in the pool fully clothed—business casual, on the phone
• Holding the 200 Fly record for three years
How has your experience as part of UNCW’s Swimming & Diving program impacted or influenced your life?
Swimming taught me It’s not the pursuit of happiness it’s the happiness of the pursuit.
What have you been up to since your days on the UNCW pool deck?
I’ve been a commercial insurance broker for nearly five years. I’m still semi-involved in the swimming world as the treasurer for Hawk Masters. I travel when I can, but it’s hard to leave Wilmington when you live in such a beautiful place.
Favorite stomping grounds from your time at UNCW?
Hillsdale, Bojangles, MAW (Only on Tuesdays)
Favorite UNCW Swimming & Diving slogan or cheer?
Bird Up
Parting advice for current UNCW Swimmers and Divers and/or recent alumni?
Swimming will always be a part of you. It creates a lifelong bond with teammates and with any collegiate swimmer you meet after graduation. The community and soft skills you gain here prepare you for challenges far beyond the pool.
One of the biggest shifts after college is realizing you no longer have a coach—or teammates—guiding you. You become your own coach. The foundation you built in swimming becomes your foundation in life: understanding what motivates you, how you grow, and how you respond to adversity. Stay open-minded and committed to learning, adapting, and improving.
You’re leaving UNCW with fundamentals most people never develop. Use them. Trust them. Build on them. And know that the qualities that made you successful in the pool will make you even more successful long after you’ve left it behind.
Remember: it’s not about the goals—it’s about who has the best systems in place to prepare. And achievements should be discovered, not announced. Let your consistency do the talking.
Lastly, ask yourself daily: How much of your time are you investing versus just spending?