That coach, Mick Massey, has now guided Dan for 12 years. “You do have to allow a lot of time for anything that’s new,” he says. “As a coach, you’ve got to take the model you want, break it down into small components and then gradually rebuild it.” Repetition is the key. “Once they’ve got it, some of their skills in the pool are second to none.”
Massey coaches his own daughter, Natalie, who is also on the British ID swimming team. He says the commitment shown by the likes of Natalie and Dan – especially during the Paralympic ban – is astounding.
“They were 17, 18, 19 years old. They could have been going out with their mates at the weekend. There was only a tiny glimmer of hope, and yet they focused on it and carried on training because of their love of the sport.”
Ranked in the world’s top four in both of his events, Pepper should qualify for London, but pressure can do strange things. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he says. “You could slip off the blocks.”
But – assuming he can keep his footing – eight years after first qualifying for a Paralympics, he might finally get his chance.
