Virginia Military Institute’s cadet-athletes have to juggle cadet life, heavy academic course loads, and their NCAA Division I sport. Committed to both academic and athletic pursuits, balancing their rigorous schedule in both sports and school requires a certain level of commitment and discipline. Behind the Balance is a series that focuses on those cadet-athletes and how they handle the hurdles of the day-to-day. 

LEXINGTON, Va. March 4, 2026 — Pedro Robertson ’27 may have been a little hesitant about attending Virginia Military Institute, but talking with the swim and dive coach coupled with a visit, he began to warm up to the idea.  

“I think seeing the challenge of it all ... it looked difficult,” he admitted. "The ‘don't do ordinary’ of it all was something different.” 

He could see a future for himself at the Institute where he could do something he hadn’t seen many do before. He also wasn’t planning to commission. Instead, he signed up for Air Force ROTC to feel it out. 

“I started to enjoy it a lot. I think it was a good decision, I really enjoy Air Force,” he said. Now, he’s on track to commission into the Air Force.  

This past summer, Robertson attended field training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.  

“We experienced types of simulated leadership, so it's similar to VMI,” he explained. “I think that helped me a bit. I've already been in that simulated stress.” 

As time continued at VMI, he’s grown to accept more responsibility, like becoming a platoon sergeant in the Old Corps. 

Cadet-athletes at VMI not only have their responsibilities with their selected sport but cadet duties on top of that. Cadets are also required to take physical fitness classes twice a week, participate in ROTC all four years, prepare for room and uniform inspections, practice for parade, guard duty, and more. 

The civil engineering major has 18.5 credits this semester, while he’s in season for swimming. His days can start as early as 5:30 a.m., even after staying up until midnight the night before finishing work. He has class all day then heads to practice around 4 p.m., which lasts until 7 or 7:30 p.m. He said during swim conference weeks, the practice times dwindle a bit in order to reset for the upcoming competition.  

“I try to get classwork done in between things as much as I can,” he commented. “I try to find a happy medium — I can do one assignment and give myself some rest. I’m trying to find those little pockets in my day where I can do something productive.”

Preparing for races doesn’t always mean spending time in the pool. Robertson spends time researching other swimmers he’s set to face off with. That way, he’s able to set goals for himself or see which swimmers to watch out for or pace with.  

“Having some sort of race plan helps it go by faster,” he said. Since Robertson is a long-distance swimmer — the mile, the 500 meter, and the 200 meter — he’s in the water for a long time. “I like singing a little song, too. I'll have something playing in my head while I'm swimming.” 

Those songs can range anywhere from Frank Sinatra to Ice Spice.  

He knew coming to VMI he would be in a competitive environment, in and out of the pool. 

"I'm very competitive, and I want to be in a place where I'm competing not only with swimming, but with academics or the Rat Line, or on the hill. I'm trying to be the best version of myself,” he said. 

Experiencing different leadership styles has also been beneficial for him.  

"It’s how to respond to these different leadership styles and develop your own,” he said. "You're leading in some way and you're leading yourself." 

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE