Our Founder

Dudley coached year-round swimming in Virginia since 1974. He founded what is now ODAC (Old Dominion Aquatic Club), VACS (the Virginia Association for Competitive Swimming), Poseidon Swimming, and Quest Swimming. Accumulated from their founding until now, these programs represent 148 years of club swimming in Virginia. Each of these programs won many state championships and/or became nationally recognized under Dudley's direction. These teams have placed as high as 2nd at YMCA National Championships, 3rd at Women's Short Course National Championships, 7th at Women's Short Course National Championships, and many times Top Ten at USA Junior National Championships.

Individually, Whitney Hedgepeth was an Olympian who was considered to be one of the most versatile swimmers internationally between 1988 and 1996. Whitney won 7 national championships in high school, none of which were backstroke, which she medaled in at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Rada Owen was considered to be one of the purest freestylers technically worldwide when she made the 2000 Olympic Team in the 200 Freestyle. Even with those swimmers reaching the heights of international competition, Dudley is most proud of the overall development of thousands of swimmers who reached levels beyond their "innate" potential to swim competitively after high school, many of whom became coaches after their own swimming experiences.

Dudley established a unique "way" of coaching and training which is used to this day at Quest Swimming. He recently finished writing a book in which he details his experiences both in coaching and business. It is set to be published in early 2023. Dudley has been selected into the International Swim Coaches Hall of Fame, the Virginia Swimming Hall of Fame, and the SwimRVA Hall of Inspiration. Four of the initial inductees into the Virginia Swimming Hall of Fame were from the VACS, including Diane Cayce, who worked as Dudley's Age Group Coach for 22 years. The others were Whitney Hedgepeth (Olympian), Walter Smith (Volunteer), and Dudley.

Quest Swimming will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023. Dudley finally accomplished his lifetime dream of owning a pool and the business of a swim team. Dudley now lives in Vero Beach, FL, where he coached for a short period in 1977–1978. He and his wife Jeannie are enjoying a new project with the addition of a sheepadoodle puppy named Vero. Dudley’s son, Ryan, is an ownership partner in SwimMetro Management. He lives in Colonial Heights with his wife, Carrie, and their four children. Dudley and Jeannie’s daughter Julie owns a horse riding business with 31 horses in Rincon, Puerto Rico.