With a love for speed and the determination to produce it, William Copeland’s blossoming career promises to be an exciting one to watch. Those who have followed him to this point know just how far he has come.

Copeland wore red, white, and blue this summer representing the United States for the first time at the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia. Distinguishing his talent immediately at the games, he was a member of the winning men’s 400m freestyle relay the first night of finals. Not only taking gold, the team shattered the meet record.

The 23-year-old was born with a condition know as Pectus Excavatum, a defect that pulled his breastbone inward and put pressure on his heart while restricting lunch capacity. Although the sunken chest was not life threatening, it did affect his aerobic ability. Despite overcoming the limitations of his birth defect to see great success in the pool, Copeland opted to undergo a procedure to correct the condition. Doctors cracked his ribs and inserted a steel bar to alleviate the problem. After an unpleasant first few months, he returned to California-Berkeley to finish his college career.

At the 2008 Pac-10 Championships, Copeland had a breakout performance, taking both the 50y (19.30) and 100y (42.47) freestyle events. He anchored the winning 400-yard medley relay and led the 200-yard freestyle relay to another victory, propelling the Golden Bears to a second place overall finish. His senior campaign concluded with the 2008 NCAA Championships, where he would walk away as an NCAA All-American.

Following his best college season, Copeland used that momentum to accelerate into the summer of 2008 at the US Open Swimming Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He placed second in the 100m freestyle, qualifying him for the World University Team. Later that year, he had another career breakthrough, claiming his first National Championship in the 100y freestyle at the 2008 Conoco Phillips Short Course National Championships in Atlanta, Ga. Taking the race out ahead of the pack in 19.72 from lane eight, Copeland never let up, touching in a 41.72.

Copeland continues to train in Berkeley, California under coach Dave Durden. Training consists of four doubles a week, all mornings spent swimming long-course to increase his aerobic endurance to close his races and capture more wins.