Personal Narrative: How Swimming Changed My Life

Spending early mornings and late nights training in the blistering cold water while my peers sleep became a daily routine for me. Before I knew it, swimming became a part of me, it became a defining aspect of my life. However, I did not always know that I would continue to spend long hours at the swimming pool for the next four years of my life. When I began high school, I was always told to find a club or sports team to join, and my experience in this phase of my life would be considerably more enjoyable. I had played several sports and been in various clubs in the past, but now I really wanted to become a part of something that I truly relished. Sports wise, my interest at the time had been in swimming, as I favored the idea of a sport on
Making the varsity team as a freshman was a great accomplishment, however, I knew this was just the beginning of my journey in the sport. Entering the team as a freshman was more difficult than I imagined, as I always felt as if I was out of place among the pool of upperclassmen. Nevertheless, I continued my path on the team, and always strived to better myself in the sport by waking up at 5:30 in the morning every day to swim. For me, this was one of the most difficult aspect. Every morning, I contemplated leaving the sport in favor of sleeping in just as my friends had done every morning. The idea of sleeping two extra hours every morning tempted my thoughts, and I was on the brink of quitting the swim team. However, I pushed through, and this exact decision is one that I would later come to thank myself every day for doing. I wasn’t the fastest on the team, nor did I advance nearly as far as my teammates in swim meets. Yet, I still continued to better myself every day, and slowly the progress began to show. Not only did I start to swim faster at meets, but my mentality changed as a result of this hard work and dedication. I realized the value of commitment, and that all one needs to do to