In an interview with The Harpoon on Tuesday, varsity swim captain Isaiah Williams—a physics major from Salt Lake City, Utah—shared what sets him apart from his competitors. “Of course, I train a lot and do tons of conditioning and everything, but, like, everyone does that. There’s not really anything that special about the way I prepare for races on the physical side of things,” Williams explained when asked how he has been able to dominate NESCAC swimming for the last three years. 

“There is something I like to do a little differently to gain a psychological advantage, though. On the day of a meet, I’ll drink half a gallon of water and then just hold my piss for the whole day. When I get in the pool, I’ll swim over to some kid from Colby or Bates and just stare them dead in the eyes while I unload all that pee I’ve saved up. Then during the race, when I really need to dig deep, I just think about how they’re all swimming in my piss and don’t even know it. That just gives me the extra strength to push a little harder and win the heat.” 

Williams shared that last year at the NESCAC Championships he tried pooping in the pool, but it wasn’t nearly as effective and everyone started freaking out when they saw his turds float to the top, so he’s gone back to peeing during this year’s swim season.