Jack Punswick: A Story of Strength, Grit, and Finding Purpose

When high school swimmer Jack Punswick faced a major setback, he didn’t give up—he did the exact opposite. A senior from Olathe, Kansas, Jack’s story is of perseverance and heart.

After being cut from his high school baseball team, he could have walked away from sports altogether. Instead, he took it as a chance to refocus.

“I chose to see that setback as an opportunity to refocus my goals,” Jack says—and that choice changed everything.

He turned to competitive swimming, a sport he had never pursued seriously. But in just a short time, he began dropping time at every meet. By his junior year, he went from never qualifying for state to becoming the 2024 Kansas 100-yard breaststroke champion and earning First Team All-State honors.

“Swimming taught me the importance of perseverance and competing against my best performances,” Jack says.

Then came a challenge far greater than anything in the pool.

In September of his senior year, right after an exciting college visit, Jack was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma. Instead of letting that moment break him, he met it head-on.

“I began facing the biggest race of my life: beating cancer.”

Even while undergoing chemotherapy, Jack returned to swimming. He won a race mid-treatment and qualified for state again.

“Sometimes a win is the ability to swim the whole practice,” he shares. “And on difficult days, sometimes that just might be getting out of bed.”

His determination didn’t go unnoticed. Jack was honored with the 2024 Kansas Spirit of Sport Award and the 2025 National High School Spirit of Sport Award, given to one high school student in the entire country each year.

For Jack, swimming has always been about more than just times or titles. It’s about the people.

“At my first meet after my diagnosis, I had to be lifted out of the pool by three teammates… fans from both schools stood and cheered,” he recalls. “No one ever achieves success alone.”

That support stretched far beyond the pool. His family, teammates, and friends all rallied around him—shaving heads, wearing Team Jack bracelets, and cheering him on every step of the way. His philosophy?

“365 x 1 is 365. Doing one good thing a day is infinitely better than doing nothing.”

On April 8, 2025, after a long, hard fight, Jack rang the bell, marking the end of his treatment and the beginning of a new chapter as a survivor.

Now, as he sets his sights on the LA 2028 Olympics, Jack carries with him lessons that go beyond sports—resilience, gratitude, and the importance of showing up every single day.

“I beat cancer, and it will be one more part of this incredible journey as I seek to help others build from their losses, persevere through their trials, find daily wins, and give thanks.”

So, what’s your win today?