High School Student Hooks State Bass Fishing Title

Ethan Park (left) is a senior in high school who plans to attend Southern Adventist University or Miami University in the fall. Park lives with his parents, younger brother and sister in Lisle, Illinois. In his free time, Park competes in fishing tournaments and practices taekwondo.

By Ethan Park

I found my love for fishing from watching Youtubers Jon B., Alex Peric and Flair, who film inspirational fishing videos around the world. I never really liked video games, so having something fun to do outside inspired me.

I started fishing at local ponds on the weekend, but as my interest grew, I stumbled upon bass fishing tournaments. Two seniors from my high school’s bass fishing team took me under their wing and introduced me to the bass fishing tournament scene. My passion has grown ever since.

I now compete in the National Bassmaster Circuit. I’ve won a state title and have been to the national championship.

State tournaments are grueling. Competitions are two days long, eight hours a day. Throughout the day you’re trying to catch the heaviest fish, but at the end you’re allowed to weigh only five basses that contribute to your score. The pair with the heaviest collective fish weight wins.

My partner and I won the Illinois state competition at Lake Springfield with a 10-bass total of 29 pounds and 6 ounces.

Prepping for tournaments is just as intense. We do a lot of “pre-fishing,” which is fishing in a lake days before a tournament to figure out feeding patterns, see where fish live and research lake conditions.

Our most recent national tournament was in Hartwell, South Carolina. I hope to join a team to fish in the college national series, which has been my dream for years.

Progressive climb

My journey to diagnosis was unusual. I was diagnosed with mild pulmonary hypertension when I was 5, but my symptoms never affected me. During the summer of 2023, I started to notice severe fatigue and trouble breathing when I walked short distances. My parents took me to the emergency room where we learned my mild PH had progressed to severe.

Even though I was aware I had PH, the news came as a shock and scared my parents and me. We thought the worst was to come.

I spent a month in the hospital, undergoing tests and medication adjustments. Before that visit, I had never needed medication to manage my PH, but at the hospital I was on oxygen, tadalafil, ambrisentan and subcutaneous treprostinil. I thought my PH would hold me back from ever fishing again. With the long hours in the sun and harsh weather conditions we compete in, it didn’t seem like a reasonable dream.

My care team taught my family and me how to live with PH, how to manage PH and its medications, and other useful tips to make our lives feel normal. Thanks to help from my doctors and parents, after a month, I regained my strength and could resume my normal life.

Three months after being released, I switched from the subcutaneous to oral medications and am currently taking ambrisentan, tadalafil and Uptravi (selexipag).

School and PH

Balancing school and PH can be tricky. With the help of my counselors, teachers and parents, I get the support I need to keep up and not fall behind.

Because of doctor’s appointments, I miss a ton of school. That makes it harder to catch up on lessons and homework. However, my teachers have procedures to help me alleviate stress and ensure I complete all my work.

I currently have a 504 plan that outlines how the school will support my PH challenges, a disabled parking spot and an elevator pass, which I can use when stairs are too difficult. My teachers give me extra time for taking tests and they understand if I miss class for medical or PH-related complications.

As a senior, I’ve learned a lot, but I’m very excited to start college this fall. I think it will be fun to meet new people and get to experience life on my own. I can’t wait to make my final school decision and live the next chapter of my life.

Inspired by Park’s story? Share your PH journey with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s Right Heart Blog.