Noted Hungarian-American physiologist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent-Gyorgyi once observed, “There is no life without water.” In literature, water is a life-giving symbol, a conduit between the past and present. It has the power to heal and transform, purify and connect. It seems fitting then that Brett Lullo, accomplished aquatic athlete and distinguished physician, has long found his truest home in the water. Scan the record boards of Naperville’s pools and you are sure to find a Lullo connection. A member of a dynamic and accomplished family, Brett eagerly recounted the fantastic support and positive examples from his loved ones. His mom, Nancy, swam at Benet Academy, while his dad, Bob (‘74) and oldest brother, Jim (‘02), also swam for Naperville Central. He noted with fondness, “My family members were always my biggest fans. At one point, Jim, my father, and I were all on the Men’s Swimming Top 10 board at the same time.” While part of a tremendous “home” team, Lullo definitively distinguished himself as an individual in Redhawk waters, working his way to eight IHSA State Final finishes in each individual event he swam, freshman through senior year, including 2 State Championships (100 butterfly & 200 individual medley in 2007). He also added two 3rd place finishes- in the 500 freestyle at the 2006 state finals, and the 200 freestyle in 2005. He was a key contributor to seven IHSA State Final relay finishes, most notably 2nd (2006) and 3rd place (2007) finishes in the 200 medley relay. Lullo reflected on these immense achievements, sharing the credit for his success, saying, “Though swimming is more of an individual sport, I was always pushed by teammates both during practice and at meets. Kevin Bell, Ryan Alberts, Dan Ortega, Dan Li, and Matt McNichols were always setting the pace for me in practice and driving me to push myself. Having such great teammates to train with made me a more diverse swimmer.” Lullo was quick to celebrate the beauty of teamwork, sharing that his most memorable high school athletic experience was the 2007 IHSA State Championship Swim Meet during his senior year, when he had the chance to celebrate his two individual state wins with “not only [his] teammates but also all of the friends [he] had made in the entire Illinois swimming community.” According to Lullo, “My individual successes were a culmination of not all the hard work I had put in but also the dedication and support of my family, friends, teammates and coaches. I was extremely proud of my teammates’ performances…it was one of the few swim meets that I truly got to appreciate the moment.” There was much to appreciate both in that moment and in the moments surrounding 2007’s crowning swim meet. In total, Lullo earned 14 All-American Swimming awards and 6 individual Illinois All-State Swimming awards over the course of his high school career. In 2007, Lullo was named Illinois Swimming Association Senior Swimmer of the Year, earned the All-American Academic Award, was awarded the William H. Scherer Award for top NCHS senior athlete, and was declared the NCHS Red and White Award winner for men’s swimming. Topping these individual honors for Lullo were his team’s two 2nd place finishes at the IHSA State Meet in his sophomore and junior years. As commanding and committed out of the water as he was in it, Lullo contributed to the NCHS community through his leadership as Student Advisory Council President, Adapted PE peer helper, and J. Kyle Braid student- athlete leader. An accomplished student, Lullo headed to Princeton after graduation, becoming a 4-year Varsity Letterman in Division I Men’s Swimming. At Princeton, he was a member of three Ivy League Championship Meet teams, taking home the championship title at the end of both his junior and senior seasons. Throughout his career as a Tiger, he made multiple individual and relay finals appearances, never losing his love of the water or thirst for competition and team dynamics. He was quick to share that love of the water as a Special Needs Swim Lessons Organizer and Instructor at Princeton, channeling Adapted PE teacher Pat Adamatis’ influence in his design and implementation of the program. He also became a Student-Athlete Wellness Leader and Peer Premedical Advisor, blending his athletic, academic, and service passions. After graduating from Princeton with a BS in Computer Science in 2011, he went on to attend Loyola University’s Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, graduating in 2016 after holding a number of leadership and research positions and contributing to several professional publications and presentations. Always up for a challenge, in 2012 Lullo independently developed and launched an iPad/iPhone app to help children on the autism spectrum better adjust to new activities and social situations, all while training for and completing the Chicago Marathon in 2013. Lullo is currently an orthopedic surgery resident at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, with plans to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery post-residency.Lullo and his wife, Jenna have been married a year and are enjoying building a life together. His advice to Naperville Central student-athletes is appropriate: “Today, more than ever, athletes are under intense scrutiny. People are looking at you for both negative and positive examples of what to say and how to act – whether you know it or not. Take advantage of this and use this scrutiny for good…try and find some way each day to make the most of being an athlete off the field, and people will take note.” People have always taken note of Lullo’s immense power for good. As a swimmer and a doctor, Lullo has brought light and life to all lucky enough to swim in his waters.