A Journey Through Water

Beginning at the age of three, the majority of my life has consisted of swimming. From being taught to simply float, to training three hours daily, my journey through swimming has been an unpredictable experience. 

Like most children, I was involved in several sports including volleyball, softball, gymnastics, and more. However, swimming soon became my main focus.

In my younger teenage years, I never found interest in swimming. I always saw the sport as something I was only doing for fun. I would often cry during practices because the water was too cold and I did not want to jump in. After several years of being thrown in the pool by my coaches, I began to take it a bit more seriously. Growing up, my sister had always received blue ribbons at every meet, signifying first place in her events. I, however, would get an entire range of colors from neon pink to rainbow (for participation), never knowing the colors actually had a meaning behind them.

When I began middle school, I began to commit myself more to swimming. I set goals for myself and I truly wanted to win. I began to cut out other sports in my life to focus more on swimming. I began to train longer hours with harder sets to improve my personal time.This is when I realized that swimming was not easy or just a fun game anymore. Competition got tougher and I became more competitive because I wanted to prove myself. This time of my life marked the beginning of a future in swimming I would have never imagined myself having. 

In high school, I was introduced to true pain itself. Practices were harder than ever before and swim meets were even harder. However, the sweat and tears put into every practice made me value swimming even more. It taught me that it was not going to be easy anymore like my childhood. Swimming alongside my sister freshmen year was my biggest motivation. Being able to simply practice with a swimmer I had always looked up to, and still do, had always felt unreal. My first league championship my freshmen year made every practice 100% worth it. I never thought I would be capable of such accomplishments, and my love for swimming only grew stronger. By my sophomore year, I won all my events in league and even broke my sister’s school record in the 100 yard freestyle.

Being involved in swimming has shaped me into the woman I am today. It has taught me the value of time management and prioritization. Being a student-athlete is often tough to maintain a balance between academics and sports. However, swimming has motivated me to use my time wisely in order to benefit all around. 

Most importantly, swimming has introduced me to amazing friends. Being able to spend hours with a group of determined people every day has created life-long friendships and genuine connections with my teammates. Through swimming, I have met my best friends that I’ve grown up with from the start and will forever be grateful for. Swimming has created a second family for me, which is completely priceless. Because of swimming, I have learned to continue to push my limits everyday to be the best version of myself in and out of the pool.