The University of Hawaii community is mourning the loss of a 19-year-old student athlete who died Saturday after a swim meet from an apparent cardiac arrest.

Friends and family say Frank 'Peter' Chi lived life to the fullest. 

They gathered Wednesday evening to remember the life of a Hilo boy who made his dream come true, to swim at the UH.

Friends, teammates, and family hugged, and together remembered the young man who inspired so many.

"Thank you for pushing me.  I love you," said Marc Okimura.

"He was my best friend.  He was my dad's best friend.  He alwasys considered others before himself," said Sharon Chi. 

Friends say Peter had a knack for making everyone laugh.

"He's one of the most animated people you will meet.  Right after you meet him, he  just brightens up your day," said Matt Dentone. 

Two years ago, doctors diagnosed Chi with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a rare heart condition.

But Chi fought his way back onto the UH swim team after doctors cleared him to compete again, which gave him a second chance.