Swimmer Breaks 2 National Records After Nearly Quitting

Marcus Johnson sat behind the starting blocks at the national championships with dead earbuds, playing Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop the Music" out loud while his competitors stared. Minutes later, he broke a national swimming record that had stood for over a decade.

The 19-year-old Coral Springs resident nearly quit the sport two years ago. After feeling "shut-in" during high school at Boca Raton High, Johnson experienced severe burnout and wasn't sure college swimming was for him.

"I was just like, I don't really know if I want to do this anymore," he said. But his friends and parents encouraged him to try one more time.

Johnson joined Indian River State College in Fort Pierce as a walk-on swimmer. Surrounded by supportive teammates instead of isolation, something shifted. He rediscovered why he loved swimming in the first place.

"The friendships just gave me the drive for the sport that I didn't have my senior year," Johnson said. He and teammate Kito Campbell talked constantly about breaking the decade-old breaststroke record.

In early 2026, Johnson broke the 53-second barrier in the 100-yard breaststroke, a milestone that identifies national-level competitors. He taped a massive piece of paper to his door listing every record time and trained to the max every single day.

On March 5 at the NJCAA national championships, Johnson broke the 100-yard breaststroke record twice in one day. His morning swim shattered the old mark, then he lowered it again that evening to 51.72 seconds. He also set the 50-yard breaststroke record at 23.81 seconds.

"As soon as I touched the wall, I looked at the scoreboard, and it's just like, sigh of relief," he said. "I got it."

Why This Inspires

Johnson's journey shows that stepping back doesn't mean giving up. By allowing himself space to make friends and explore other interests, he found the balance he needed to excel. His story proves that sometimes the path to breaking records starts with breaking old patterns that aren't working.

Now named the 2025-26 NJCAA Male Swimmer of the Year, Johnson is heading to Florida State University to compete as a Division I swimmer. He's studying physical education and plans to pursue sports nutrition, with dreams of possibly trying out for Sweden's national team through his mother's citizenship.

His advice to young athletes struggling like he did captures everything: "No matter how hard things get, just don't quit. I almost did, and I'm very happy that I didn't."