Hugo Krompass.
At just 14 years old, Waikato swimmer Hugo Krompass is already showing the discipline, composure and ambition of an athlete on a mission.
Hugo, who trains five days a week in the pool and spends Sundays in the gym with his father, Dean, is part of the Waikato Swimming XLR8 Squad, a programme for promising young swimmers.
Talking to Waikato All Sports Breakfast recently, he describes the squad as a place where “you’re on your best game or you’re not in the game at all,” a standard he seems determined to meet.
Fresh from a trip to Dunedin with the XLR8 Squad, the St John’s College student returned home with some personal bests and new confidence.
In the 50‑metre freestyle, Hugo shaved 50 milliseconds off his previous best, clocking a time of just over 27 seconds.
He then broke the one‑minute barrier in the 100m freestyle, finishing in 59 seconds, a milestone he says is “really good, especially for kids my age”.
Hugo’s next target is a 57‑second swim.
While freestyle is his strongest stroke, Hugo also competes in butterfly and is working to improve his backstroke and breaststroke to strengthen his individual medley.
Behind the scenes, his family is holding down the fort.
His parents, Dean and Samantha, are having “lots of early mornings, lots of late nights,” but say it’s worth it when they see their son’s efforts.
“He’s turning up every single day, so we’ve got to do the same as parents,” Dean says.
Though schoolwork remains a non‑negotiable priority, and they expect Hugo to complete it ahead of all training.
After every race, Hugo meets with his coaches for feedback, who reinforce that swimming is as much a mental contest as a physical one.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right,” Hugo says.
On difficult days, he finds the water calming rather than daunting.
“If I have a bad day and I dive in the water, I just calm down instantly. The water’s my happy place.”
Looking ahead, Hugo’s long-term goal is to swim at the Olympics.
He knows the competition, especially in Waikato, is strong.
He admits he sometimes looks at other swimmers’ times and can’t believe they’re real, but he uses that as fuel rather than discouragement.
Alongside his sporting ambitions, Hugo has another dream: studying palaeontology and travelling the world searching for fossils.
For now, though, the focus is on swimming and school.
Graeme “Mintie” Mead is a sports commentator, the host of the radio show Waikato All Sports Breakfast and a Newstalk ZB overnight host. He is also a councillor on the Hamilton City Council.