Imagine training competitively for nine months out of the year for a race that doesn’t even last five minutes, that’s the life of Carter Fuhrmann.
While there are hundreds of student athletes at PMHS, only a fraction of them go above and beyond to stand apart from the rest. Fuhrmann is one of them. Fuhrmann is a year round swimmer, who competes for Perry Meridian High School, Meridian Woods and Southside Indy Aquatics (SIA), swim clubs that run from May to July and September through the end of October.
Fuhrmann is a dedicated swimmer who has pushed himself to the max every single practice. While doing so, he’s also building a stronger team along the way.
“Carter brings the team spirit up, especially when they are in a slump. He’s always cheering people on (at meets), giving people feedback during practice, and really testing them,” Kameron Butts, a swimmer for PMHS, said.
“He’s one of those people that’s always positive. No matter how hard the practice is, he’s singing to the music, making jokes, and giving it his all, that’s the type of person he is,” Lauren Cox, head coach of PMHS and SIA, said.
As the 2024-25 season progressed, Fuhrmann’s skills became more evident.
Leading up to the Marion County Championships and the Mid-State Championships Nikki Knight, an assistant coach for PMHS, could tell that Fuhrmann was working towards something special.
“He wants to be successful, so he’s going to do whatever he needs in order to do that,” Knight said.
On January 11th, 2025 Fuhrmann participated in the Mid-State Championship, where he was crowned champion in the 500 freestyle with a blistering time of 4:58.49.
“I was using that meet as a test meet, to see where I was at, and to see what I could go during sectionals… I was hoping to get around my best time (4:59.64), but it turns out I was able to go a lot faster,” Fuhrmann said.
But for Fuhrmann, winning wasn’t the end, it was a stepping stone for something greater in his career.
“My goal now is to try to break one of the records, like the 500 freestyle or the 200 freestyle,” Fuhrmann said. He ramped up the training and fully dialed in on those two events for Sectionals.
Unfortunately, the cold was going around on deck and Fuhrmann caught it.
“It was honestly very devastating,” Fuhrmann said “The sickness didn’t just affect me, it swept over the whole swim team.” While Fuhrmann was upset personally, he was devastated for his teammates. “He always wants what’s best for the team and his friends,” Butts said.
Unfortunately Fuhrmann swam a 5:02.57 adding a mere 4.98 seconds. “It wasn’t my best performance and I wish I could have stayed healthy,” Fuhrmann said.
While this was a great upset for Fuhrmann at first, his views shifted towards the 2025 Spring Divisional Championships, a meet that you have to qualify for, which falls 3 weeks after Sectionals.
“I am forever glad that I had the chance to swim it,” Fuhrmann said.
Representing SIA, Fuhrmann won the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:52.64. Not only did Fuhrmann shatter his personal best, he’s showing a great threat towards PMHS’s record time of 4:46 set in 1987.
“That was one of the best meets of my life, I was still able to drop time, which I’m usually not able to do over the summer season (Spring Divisionals is considered a summer swim),” Fuhrmann said.
Fuhrmann is on the right track for the school records.
“I wasn’t in peak condition, I know there is more time to drop, and I think I’ll be able to get the record by the end of junior year,” Fuhrmann said.
In and out of the pool Fuhrmann isn’t just trying to better himself, he’s also improving the team. From pushing them during swim practice, leading stretches and organizing team get-togethers, Fuhrmann is trying to build a team worth remembering.
“He’s lead by example. Whenever you’re swimming around Carter, you’re going to have to work up to his worth ethic… especially the people who are in a lane beside him. They push themselves off of what he does, overall bettering the team,” Knight said.
