Kevin Kong / Staff reporter

The life of a competitive swimmer is far more than just jumping into the pool. Waking up at 5 a.m., constantly being tired, and smelling like chlorine are some of the most common things a competitive swimmer experiences. Repeating the same movements every day, swimming is on top of the list of dull sports. It’s also not the most rewarding sport, as swimmers often find themselves getting slower despite working their hardest and trying their best. Nevertheless, the difficulty of this sport would help develop a swimmer’s traits, and many find it to be an unforgettable life-changing experience.

Jumping into cold water while everyone else is sleeping may seem painful at first, but it develops self-discipline, consistency, and dedication. When the alarm first rings, I find a strong desire to stay in bed, though every time, I drag myself out and prepare myself for practice. Sometimes there’s motivation to do so, but often there’s none. However, it’s these actions every day which trains our self-control and allows us to, later in life, be able to wake up the earliest, do the most work, and be more successful.

This sport also teaches one how to achieve success. Many swimmers dedicated much of their time and energy to practice, but not all of it is rewarded. Sometimes, a swimmer finds themselves stuck at a point, unable to swim faster. Some are stuck there for a long time, but some manage to find what’s wrong, such as their diet or technique, and start to improve again. There are also times when no matter what is done, improvement is still not possible, and that’s just the way it is.

Nonetheless, no matter the performance, the experience at big meets is always unforgettable. An example is Odlum Brown Colleges Cup, where I, due to being sick a week prior, did not perform well. However, the atmosphere really shook me as each final began with immense cheering and drumming from each college team, thunderous music playing, and swimmers entering through the inflatable head of a thunderbird (mascot of UBC); the excitement really helps to boost morale and improve performance. Additionally, watching the top college athletes swim also helps me visualize ways to improve my technique and strategy, and participation at the meets will always help a swimmer in some way.

Swimming is also a great opportunity to meet new people. Like many other sports, swimming introduces new teammates and competitors through training and competition and is often a great way to socialize. In fact, most swimmers know everyone close to their age who competitively swim, and everyone is connected in one big community.

All in all, competitive swimming brings memorable experiences, though much pain needs to be endured. Many swimmers are only where they are today after years of hard work, and the dedication they put in separates them from normal teens their age. Regardless, everyone should try out swimming even if they’re not interested in doing it competitively, as it helps with survival skills and is also quite fun in general.

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