Heart of a Champion: Duxbury High Swimmer Henry Perda Breaks Records Post-Transplant

DUXBURY — Henry Perda has been a well-known face at Percy Walker pool since the age of 7.

Duxbury High swimming coach Doug Backlund recalls kids in Perda’s youth swim class diving off the diving board, enjoying themselves after practices. Perda, in contrast, was adding up laps.

“I thought, ‘Look at that kid. I can’t wait until he’s part of the high school team,'” Backlund stated. “He genuinely cares.”

At that moment, Perda had long aspired to have his name displayed on the Duxbury High swimming record board that still hangs above the pool.

Now, it is. The 6-foot senior contributed to the 200-meter medley relay team that set the record (1:40.00) during the Division 2 state championship last winter. However, just as Perda looks up at his name on the leaderboard, another glance downward serves as a reminder of the arduous path that led him here.

The scar is faded, yet remains highly noticeable.

At the age of 15, Perda was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a heart ailment characterized by tightened muscles that hinder blood circulation. After spending several lengthy periods at Boston Children’s Hospital, he was placed on a waitlist for a heart transplant, which cost him his sophomore season in 2022-23.

“It was incredible,” teammate Noah Williamson remarked. “The whole situation, I was in disbelief.”

Perda made a strong comeback as a junior in 2023-24 by contributing to the school record and earning a spot on the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic first team. Following the transplant, he achieved personal bests in the 50 freestyle (0:22.7) and 100 freestyle (0:50.3).

“Unbelievable, truly,” Backlund commented. “He has someone else’s heart within him. That’s astounding. It symbolizes Henry’s strength to overcome challenges, along with his optimistic outlook.”

How Henry Perda discovered the need for a heart transplant

As he commenced his sophomore year in 2022, Perda returned from summer recess and encountered instances of breathlessness and low blood pressure. He felt fine overall, but sensed that something was off.

“I’d leap into the water and thought, ‘What’s wrong with me?’” Perda recounted. “The swimmers I’d normally compete with at practice, I couldn’t match their pace. I was exerting myself to the fullest. It just wasn’t happening.”

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He visited the doctor’s office, then proceeded to Boston Children’s Hospital. After enduring about two weeks of tests, “no one could identify what was wrong with me,” Perda stated. Eventually, he received the diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy. He was informed that the condition was uncommon; his heart muscles remained constantly tense and could not relax.

The preferred course of action was a heart transplant, according to doctors. Perda anticipated a wait of six to eight months for a heart donation, but two weeks into his second full stay at the hospital, a call at 2 A.M. indicated that a heart was ready.

The six-hour procedure was finished, and Perda slept for three consecutive days afterwards. He celebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital but was back home just in time for Christmas.

“You nearly have to re-learn how to walk,” Perda disclosed. “It was challenging to eat food and keep it down. I had tubes attached to me, and it required three people to assist me in walking – one person carrying oxygen, one person with the (fluid) bags, and one helping me to maintain my balance.”

After missing his sophomore season, Perda remained out of school until spring due to the lengthy recovery process and concerns regarding COVID-19. He made his return just in time to participate in the team’s end-of-year banquet, where his teammates welcomed him by including him in the team’s sweatshirt and T-shirt orders.

By the summer of 2023, Perda was back in the pool, preparing for his junior year.

“I had to relearn how to swim,” Perda explained. “It’s not as if you just resume from where you left off. It felt like a complete reset.”

And soon enough, ‘it was as if he had never left the pool’

Perda noted improvements in intervals. When he rejoined his club team, Kingfish, based in Kingston and headed by Jay Craft, an economics educator at Duxbury High, Perda started with two sessions a week andincreased that figure over time.

His rapidity and stamina advanced, and his race timings consistently decreased. He prepared himself to compete once more.

Perda returned to the high school team as a junior for the subsequent 2023-24 season, and by the conclusion, he earned recognition as a Patriot League All-Star. Perda secured second place in the 50 and 100 freestyles at the league championships as Duxbury clinched the league title, leading up to the state competition.

“It was as if he had never left the pool,” Williamson remarked. “He got back into it incredibly quickly. I was thinking, ‘Alright, this kid hasn’t swum in quite some time, I’ll probably be at this level… maybe.’ Nope. He was constantly lapping me, and it was challenging to keep pace.”

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Right before the Division 2 state championships at MIT, Backlund informed the 200 medley relay team, consisting of Perda, Williamson, and siblings Theo and Sam Morse, that, considering the squad’s talent, there was a chance to break the school record of 1:40.50 established in 2022.

It was the opening event of the championships. Sam Morse kicked off first, followed by Williamson, then Theo Morse, and finally, Perda, who completed his segment of the race in 0:21.7, setting a personal best that was nearly two seconds faster. Duxbury finished in fourth place out of 22 teams.

A milestone in school history.

“It was the best meet of my life, without a doubt,” Perda stated. “I never imagined I’d return to that level.”

“I had my doubts initially, but I received support from so many people I can’t even name – doctors, physical therapy professionals – assuring me I could do it,” Perda expressed. “That’s what inspired me. Coach Backlund, Coach Craft, my teammates, it’s due to them that I made a comeback. If it had been solely up to me, I don’t believe I could’ve.”

Today, when Perda enters practice at the Percy Walker pool, he spots his name on the leaderboard. Just as he always envisioned.

This will persist even after he moves on to Northeastern University next year.

“It’s the most fulfilling sensation,” Perda remarked. “I never thought I’d see my name there. Naturally, it’s not just me; it’s due to the three other teammates on the relay and all of our fellow swimmers supporting us. However, it’s surreal to hold a record.”

Currently, Perda is navigating his senior season, and he noted he already perceives personal advancements from last year. He and Williamson are returning to the 200 medley relay team, while Aidan Hall and Myles Andrew are potential substitutes for the Morse brothers; Theo graduated in the spring, and Sam, now a junior, transferred to a private school during the offseason.

This will mark Perda’s final year of competitive swimming, as Northeastern University does not have a men’s team.

“I intend to concentrate on other aspects of my life,” Perda shared about his future. “Swimming has been a significant part of my life for a decade, and I want to move forward while cherishing the memories I’ve collected and create new experiences doing different activities.”