Vincent McWhirter has dreamed since he was a little kid of someday becoming an astronaut.
At 6-foot-4, he might have literally outgrown that dream.
But the Tempe High junior swimmer has never put limitations on himself, in the classroom or the pool.
He is on pace to become the fourth McWhirter brother named the class valedictorian at Tempe High. His three older brothers finished atop their respective classes academically. He is currently ranked No. 1 in his class with an unweighted 4.0 grade-point average, he said.
McWhirter owes his smarts and dedication in the classroom to his father, Mark. In February 2023, his father died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle.
"He always wanted us to excel in school," Vincent
said. "He had dyslexia, actually. He might have been held back by that."
But he never made himself feel like he couldn't learn, and riding his bicycle was a passion. He had an immaculate garage filled with bicycles and a love for the University of Notre Dame. He had attended Arizona State.
After he died doing what he loved, he was posthumously given the Tempe Bike Hero Award from the Tempe Transportation Commission, a panel appointed by the mayor.
"He had big dreams himself and he would give those dreams to us," Vincent said.
When Vincent, who has transitioned from a distance swimmer to a sprinter in the pool, gets in the water for a race, he thinks of his dad.
"I looked up to him and still look up to him the most," he said. "He was a swimmer. When I'm at my swim meets, I think of him. I always think that he's watching me."
Vincent McWhirter may not be the fastest swimmer in the state, but he's good enough to qualify for an event and may help Tempe on a relay at the Division II state swimming and diving championships that will be held Nov. 6-7 at Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa.
"He's an exceptionally good kid, extremely polite," Tempe swim coach Mark Cunningham said. "His academic record speaks for itself. He's an absolute joy. So were his two brothers that I was around coaching."
Cunningham missed out on coaching the oldest McWhirter brother, Thomas, 22, who went on to be a rower on the University of Notre Dame's club team. He's now the assistant rowing coach at Notre Dame.
Benedict, 21, works with Notre Dame's women's basketball team as a practice player. Dominic, 19, is a freshman at Boston University.
"I think we've all been progressing really well," Katie McWhirter, their mother, said about the passing of her husband. "Everyone continues to do well in school.
"We did go to a grief counseling group for like two years. I think that was a huge help. It was a program that had adults, parents and teenagers. It was a nice combination. Some days are much better than others."
Katie said Vincent, 16, is on the same academic path as his three older brothers. But any sibling rivalry they had ended after their dad died, Vincent said.
"I think maybe just growing up with other siblings, you tend to have rivalries," he said. "But I think we came to our senses, especially after what had happened. You sort of realize this whole thing is sort of stupid. So we support each other."
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tempe High School swimmer inspired by his late father
