A sophomore on the men’s swimming team carried the Olympic Torch today for part of its journey though the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

Joe Lipworth, a native of Dundee, Scotland, carried the torch through Hillside, Scotland.

“Joe really deserves this honor. He’s an incredibly hard worker, and his story is a testament to that fact,” men’s swimming head coach Dan Rhinehart said in a release. “Day in and day out, he’s a study in dedication and perseverance. I couldn’t be happier to see him represent GW, his homeland and his family.”

Lipworth was selected through the “Moment to Shine” campaign, where members of the public nominated someone who was an inspirational figure in their life to serve as a torchbearer. He was nominated by his mother to bear the Olympic Flame, who pointed to her son’s fight against Nephrotic Syndrome as the sort of uplifting story that would make him an ideal candidate for an Olympic torchbearer.

Lipworth was born with the rare kidney disease and bounced in and out of hospitals for the first 10years of his life. But he remained determined to stay active and joined a local swimming club as a young child.

By the time he graduated high school, he was captain of the swimming  team, earning two United Kingdom swimming records for his age group.

Throughout it all, Lipworth said, he had invaluable support from his parents that has continued into his collegiate career and Olympic experience.

” My mum actually purchased a replica torch, which only Torchbearers can buy,” Joe said in a release. “That will be a great memento to remember the whole experience with.”