As a boy, he was told he could swim if he wanted to compete. And boy, did he ever.

There were two ways to watch Nathaniel Hartley at a high school state swim meet. Fans could watch him take a block, then a podium. Swimmers could get an eyeful of his wake.

Hartley, who made waves both with his swim times and his story of overcoming a blood disorder that wouldn’t allow him to play contact sports, recently won his ninth and final state title. The Gaston Day School senior swam in North Carolina finals since the seventh grade. He holds state records in the 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

All after being told, at 6, his sports options were limited since his blood won’t clot when he gets cut. Hartley’s story since led to a “Win From Within” feature with Gatorade, and now a lane swimming for Duke University.

Hartley took a moment to consider where his swimming has taken him so far, and where it may go still:

Q How was this last meet different from prior ones? Was there more pressure to win given all the success you've had?

A “I didn’t really feel any more pressure. I hoped to finish my senior year with a good showing and just wanted to put in my best effort. I don’t really think about winning — just about giving it all I have.”

Q What's it like walking up to the blocks, after years of winning, having people know who you are and expecting you to finish first?

A “People have been extremely supportive and encouraging, even from other teams, and it really is a huge honor to get to swim with them. Coaches and swimmers from other teams are great with encouragement and good wishes. It really is not a pressure-filled moment. I get to walk up to the blocks and do what I have been doing every day for so many years.”

Q What have you learned from competitive swimming that will benefit you most outside the pool moving forward?

A “I think it’s taught me that success doesn’t come instantly. It comes from being willing to get up at 5 a.m. and practice before school, giving up weekends to go to meets, and generally doing the work every day, day in and day out, to get where I want to be. The same lessons apply in other areas of life. I have to be willing to do the work in order to get the results. There are no free rides.”

Q What's next? Where will you be swimming? What goals are still out there for you?

A “I had a great time getting to talk to various coaches from different schools and have committed to swimming for Duke, where I hope to major in computer science. Duke offers me an outstanding education but also an awesome swim team that may be able to help me make NCAA championships and hopefully Olympic trials in 2020. I’ve already met a lot of my future teammates and I hope we can really push each other to become stronger and faster.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2017 at 7:59 PM with the headline "As a boy, he was told he could swim if he wanted to compete. And boy, did he ever.."