I’ve never been one for contact sports. I went through the AYSO soccer phase, the basketball roundup, and the fencing phase. However, when I turned ten, I became extremely dedicated to the sport that has changed my life.
I love swimming. I don’t want to ramble on and on about how much chlorine intake my skin has endured, but instead let me explain what participating in a sport means… especially when you are representing your school.
Last week we swam against Woodside. We arrived, changed, and then hopped in for warm up. Getting out of the pool is hard. The water is warm and the outside temperature leaves little to be desired. Nonetheless, we all end up on the deck, wrapped in towels. All of us yell out a cheer. This time it’s “Sequoia Like What."
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When it’s time for me to swim, I always get butterflies. No matter how many meets I swim in, they never disappear. It’s because this is my one shot to get what I have been working for. I don’t want to touch the wall at the end of my race and look up at the scoreboard only to find that I’ve gained seconds, lost it for my team, or worst of all, been disqualified. There is nothing worse than not reaching that goal. When one has worked countless hours in order to reach it, and when it doesn’t turn out like one may want, it’s hard to be optimistic.
If it were always like this, no one would swim, but the reason that we endure the kicking sets, the distance swims, and all the early Saturday mornings, isn’t because of the moments of disappointment, it’s because of the moments of triumph. It is for the movie moments and the “feel good” endings. That reassuring knowledge that they give you, letting you know that it was all worth it.
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I had one of those moments on Thursday. I got my best time in the 200 free and my best time in the 500 free. I don’t pretend to be the fastest on the team or the star swimmer. I just try and help us win.
I know that there are people who are better than me. I’m not saying that I always smile about that and that I don’t feel jealous. I’m competitive. I want to do well and be the best. It’s as simple as that.
But in this moment I thought I could be something more.
I was put on the “A” relay. One of our swimmers got sick and so I got bumped up to take her place. We won. When we went over to talk to our Coach, he told us we had made CCS.
CCS is a big deal. Basically, it is an exclusive championship tournament or meet. It is what all athletes aim to make. In swimming it is a little different, in order to attend these “championships” you must qualify by making a certain time. We made that time.
I was a part of this. I did it. I helped our team.
This is what sports are all about. This is what swimming is all about.
It’s about success, cheering on your teammates and patting them on the back. It gives you an immediate family, people in the hall that understand the hours that you put in, the late nights, and the pain of the hard workouts. You don’t have to explain why your hair is wet and why you smell like a locker room more often than not. We all just get it.
Being a swimmer is so much more than just having green hair. It’s about being together and working hard in order to reach a common goal. That’s why I swim.
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