Riggs Named Finalist for H. Boyd McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship
Balancing academics and athletics is no easy task. South Carolina swimmer Will Riggs’ journey to graduation this spring started off with a life-threatening experience as a freshman that put more than just academics and athletics in doubt. Now he’s earning his degree and the burden of continuing his education is a little less worrisome after being named a finalist for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship.
“I was a little bit confused, and I thought, ‘why me? Do I really deserve this?’ It’s just such an honor,” said Riggs, who was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year of his career and ranks sixth in school history for the 200 butterfly. “There are so many amazing student-athletes at South Carolina, and to think I get to be one of the representatives for this award is so cool.”
Riggs is graduating after double majoring in risk management and insurance and finance. He already has a job lined up at Vanguard in Charlotte, which is one of the world’s largest investment companies.
“I have to take a bunch of tests to get certified to work, but what a lot of people do is go work for a year or two and then go back to school,” Riggs said. “Hopefully, that will be my plan as well so I can go back and get my MBA (Master of Business Administration). Fingers crossed I’d get it from (the) Darla (Moore School of Business). We’ll see where life takes me. So absolutely, this (scholarship) will help.”
Each of the SEC’s 14 schools nominates a male and female finalist for the award, which guarantees they will receive assistance to apply to their post-graduate studies. The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship. Each student-athlete is recognized for their work, service and academic accomplishments, in addition to being recognized for their athletic ability.
Through no fault of his own, Riggs college career got off to a bumpy start. Near the end of his freshman year he survived a near-fatal incident in which his intestines had twisted and cut off the blood supply. Incredibly, Riggs made a full recovery and had a productive career in the pool with the Gamecocks.
“I didn’t really think about it a whole lot until the senior banquet that we had,” Riggs said. “That was the first time in a few years that it really came up. I was thinking about my whole experience as a student-athlete, and we wrote speeches about our experience. Looking back at what a low point that was and the support that everyone at the University gave me, I can’t say it enough how instrumental the coaches and my teammates were in helping my recovery, not only from an athletics standpoint but mentally as well. It was a setback, and I was able to move forward. I have a pretty good perspective on life as well.”
“It definitely made me realize how fragile life is.”
Having come through such a difficult time and being able to enjoy a “normal” college career afterwards, Riggs can’t help but think about how the experience changed him.
“It definitely made me realize how fragile life is,” Riggs said. “It’s made me really thankful for the people who have surrounded me during this journey. It’s given me a good, humble perspective.”
After recovering physically, Riggs was quick to get back into the pool, and he also took advantage of resources available through the Gamecock Sports Science Network to help him heal psychologically.
“It was helpful knowing that when things got tough and going through such a scary thing, I was able to reach out and the very next day, I had an appointment to talk to someone and get myself back to feeling normal and understanding why I was feeling the way I was feeling,” Riggs said. “I mean, I came so close to death.”
After that, Riggs shouldered the daily struggles of managing his time as a student-athlete.
“Being a student-athlete is like having a fulltime job,” Riggs said. “Juggling that time commitment and remembering to give myself time to be human and take a deep breath can be the hardest part of being a student-athlete.”
As he pursued his passions in the pool and the classroom, Riggs’ favorite recollections revolve around the beginning of each season.
“My best memories have got to be from the early fall where you get to know everyone,” Riggs said. “What I’ve always loved about the team is that you get around 10 new friends at the beginning of every year. I love bringing new people into the team and just showing them what being a Gamecock is all about. It’s really a family that Gamecock Athletics has given to me, and I’m very grateful for that and all the memories that come with that. With the competitions and support from teammates and the guys that were my roommates, I hope they’re someday my best man or hopefully I get to have one of them be my child’s godfather or something like that.”
The H. Boyd McWhorter award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 14 SEC institutions. Winners of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship will be announced later this spring.
“I’m excited to find a community beyond sports,” Riggs said. “My entire life, I’ve had friends that I’ve met because of swimming. Now, I’m building relationships without that, which is interesting and cool. I’m exploring who I am outside the pool.”
