Tucker Dupree went to Brazil for Thanksgiving this year and returned home with five medals and the pride of breaking a world record.

The Garner High School graduate participated in the IPC Short Course World Championship in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month, medaling in every race.

However, the trip wasn’t smooth sailing at first. Dupree, 20, said after a long flight delay, he and the other American swimmers arrived in Brazil at midnight and had to be in the pool the next day at 8 a.m. The trip there kept the swimmers out of the pool for 48 hours, critical time for athletes during the week of competition.

Right out of the gate, Dupree did what he set out to do – he earned a gold medal in the 100-meter Butterfly and set a new world record with a time of 58.29 seconds.

Hearing the American National Anthem played while he received his gold medal was an experience Dupree will never forget.

“I think it’s something you can’t put words on,” he said.

While it was his first Thanksgiving away from his family, Dupree still made time to blog everyday and talk with his parents. He said getting to call home and listen to his mom cry with pride as he told her he took first place in the 100-meter Butterfly was a highlight for him.

Dupree went on to take silver medals in the 50-meter Freestyle and 100-meter Backstroke, and bronze medals in the 400-meter Freestyle and 100-meter Freestyle. His time of 24.00 seconds in the 50-meter Freestyle set a new American Record.

Dupree brought home other memories of the trip to Brazil. Right before the 100-meter Backstroke, his bathing suit split in the back. The suit acted as a parachute and Dupree had to fight it the entire race. Mentally, he said it threw him off. Still, he managed to take home a silver medal.

“I think the medal is what got me over it,” he said.

The trip was great for Dupree’s resume and gave him the chance to prove himself among the same swimmers who outswam him in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics

“I had a good time,” he said. “It was a turning point in my career.”

Now, Dupree will prepare to travel to San Antonio, Texas in March. The meet will hopefully qualify him for a trip to the Netherlands where he would once again compete beside top world athletes.