I remember being in elementary school and receiving paper flyers for Aqua Bears. I would always just shove them in my backpack and think to myself, “I will never, ever swim.” I look back and laugh, because this is my fourth year being on the Selma High swim team.

My love for swimming started when I first played water polo my freshman year. I had no idea what water polo was, and to my surprise, there was a lot of swimming involved. When our season ended in 2018, my teammates told me to join swim and stay conditioned for next season, to which I agreed. That was probably one of the most amazing decisions I’ve ever made. 

I made so many new friends and solidified relationships with old friends. Mrs. Manter was, and still is, an amazing coach who made swim not only fun, but memorable. Out of my four years of swimming, three were on junior varsity, while I’m currently on varsity. Coach Wood is currently my varsity swim coach. He has been my water polo coach for the past four years. Being my water polo coach, I was excited to see Coach Wood again this year for varsity swim. Though varsity is challenging, there is never a dull moment with our team. With swim being an individual sport (unless you’re doing relays), who knew you could have such a tight bond with your teammates? We always find ways to make each other laugh, even Coach Wood chiming in with us. Mrs. Manter and Coach Wood are probably some of the most supportive people I know. Whether you are having a bad day, or just not feeling it, they will always be there for you no matter what. They will be there to celebrate your achievements or tell you it’s okay if you don’t beat a time. Being on both JV and varsity, I’ve made strong friendships on both teams. No matter what team we are all on, we share our love, grit, and passion for swimming. We can all call the pool our home and our teammates family, which is something I wouldn’t trade for anything. 

It’s weird saying I’ve only been a swimmer for four years, it’s something that has really impacted me for life.