Everyone has a story that has led them to be who they are today and this story is mine. When I was younger, I’d spend my days in the pool. My mother encouraged me to change my weekend pleasures of floating on water, to a daily sport that I compete amongst others. Swimming has made me to be who I am today in a vast amount of ways. This sport taught me to push past the limits that I set for myself. Swimming has made me strive to be the best I can be physically, mentally, and personally. It has shown me that to work as a team, we can accomplish more than what one person can. As a swimmer, I was pushed past the limits that I had once set for myself. Grueling practices where there was no stopping during sets, to intense workouts in the gym after endless laps in the pool. My days were spent going to school, then straight to practice, and finishing my nights off with homework. I was exhausted but to reach my goals I knew I could not give up, even when I was feeling weak. Not only was I striving for goals in the pool, but I also strived outside the pool. I …show more content…
The mental strength I developed in swimming, was invaluable in my scholastic career. There was countless time that I felt I was incapable of passing a class or getting an A on a test, but I went back to my swimming to career to remind myself I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I studied harder, went the extra mile and did extra credit work, and ultimately accomplished my goals. I knew that I was mentally stronger than most because of the challenges I was faced when swimming. My coach would tell me I was going to go a certain time and regardless of how difficult it might have seem, I would not give up on myself until I achieved it. Weeks of mental prep before competition, imaging myself finishing the race and looking up at the scoreboard to see my time is what stopped me from letting my mental barriers keep me from my
I have been swimming year-round on a club team since the age of six and when I was younger improving came relatively easily. However, around age 13, I hit a training plateau despite having the same work ethic and focus that I had previously had. I grew to despise swimming and at points I wanted to quit. However, unlike Junior, I had role models and mentors who were positive influences on me and who helped me to overcome this challenge. Primarily, I had several of my best friends on the team who convinced me to keep persevering and to not simply quit the sport that I loved so much just because I was no longer dropping time. For example, every day I watch my close friends Lizanne and Cate come to practice and give it their all, regardless of the numerous injuries and medical issues that plagued their swimming career; their positive outlook and dedication motivated me to try even harder than I had before. Moreover, I had by parents, something that Junior did not have; my parents were always there to support me after yet another disappointing meet reminding me that “you get five minutes for a win and five minutes for a lost”. My parents where my voice of reason as I tried to work through my issues; they were always there to encourage me, but also were very honest with me
This pool is my soul, and the slight, gentle waves are the beating of my heart. I stand on the deck looking down at the clear, calm water, and raise my hands above my head. I dive into the water, smooth and straight like an arrow. I enter the water without a splash, and glide underwater, feeling the cool water on my skin, and the scent of chlorine in the air. I feel powerful, immortal, and completely at peace.
Ever since I was a young student, teachers knew that I was not a normal kid. These teachers saw qualities in me that they could not see in many students at that age level. They saw a child who had a profound love to know more and had the ambition of a decorated Olympic swimmer to learn not just the material that was being taught but why it is being taught and how I can I use this information to make people’s lives better. Fast-forward to today, and you can clearly see that not much has changed except my determination to learn and my love to help others has done nothing but expanded.
Rise and Swim is an inspirational speech on you tube. This is a very interesting and powerful speech. It is an athlete related speech but it not only encourages them but everyone. It claims that if you really want to achieve something, you have to strive for it because there would be lots of different voices in your head that may put you down, but listening to the one voice that says “You got this, you’re ready”, you know then you are on the right path. Everything and anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it. Goals can’t be achieve successfully if you are not motivated enough. Being motivated is something that will help you stick to what you planned out for life and goals, and it will help
Swimming is often referred to as an individual sport. In competition you are given a lane, a heat, and you compete for your time. Answer one question then, to prove its nature of individuality, at the seven hundred meter mark of the gruesome fifteen hundred, when the lactic acid has built up, and your body feels like failing, what pushes you beyond a point you have never reached before? The drowned out sounds of a team cheering, or seeing a friend charge through crowds flailing their arms through the air, is all I need to keep going and represent my team in a race to the finish. In addition to cheering during races, it is important to have the encouragement of your teammates all the time at practice, at school and, even in more personal matters. A team gives you a sense of belonging or a sense of discouragement that keeps you from your true potential. A community of a team extends much past the athletes, to the parents, as well. A team in which everyone is recognized for what they do/ can do compared to a special “elite” group of swimmers leads to a new level of pride and confidence for the younger athletes. Lastly, the philosophy of the coach is a critical component to the success of an athlete. One may believe in narrowing in on the naturally talented and the other coach strives to train each individual to maximum potential. I have been a part of two very different swim clubs in my development as an athlete, both of which helped me become my personal best, and who I am today in and out of the water. Although both the Ajax Aquatic Club and the Whitby Dolphins helped me develop my talents, abilities and, confidence, it is through the Whitby Dolphins that I recognize the need for strong interpersonal relationships with teammates, t...
Each game, my passion grew. Each team, new memories and lifelong friends were made. Sports sometimes make me feel disappointment and at loss; but it taught me to be resilient to a lot of things, like how to thrive under pressure and come out on top. Being the team captain of my high school’s football and lacrosse team showed me how having a big responsibility to bring a group together to work as one is compared to many situations in life. Currently playing varsity football, varsity lacrosse, and track I take great pride in the activities I do. Staying on top of my academics, being duel enrolled at Indian River State College, working three nights a week, and two different sport practices after school each day shaped my character to having a hard work
As a competitive swimmer, I train 19 hours a week as a member of the University of Manitoba Bison’s Men’s Swim Team. However, growing up, I was never a great swimmer. I just didn’t have the classic swimmer body type—tall, long limbs with big hands and feet—but I loved the sport. Looking back, I can imagine how my parents felt. Their short, scrawny kid desperately wanted to be in a sport that he wasn’t meant for.
I knew that joining the team in my junior year of school meant that I would never be the best at it, but I would try my hardest regardless of that. Being part of the team gave me something to work on everyday aside from school work. Each day, whether during practice, or a competition, I was constantly faced with different challenges to overcome, both physical or mental. These challenges helped me to grow as an individual and as a member of the team. One of my biggest accomplishments through swim was becoming a NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete my senior year. Other experiences, such as work and travel have also shaped me as person. Working, and earning money has taught me a great deal about money management as I save up for college, and has given me a look into the responsibilities of a working individual. Working has taught me the importance of communication and networking inside and outside the work space. As for traveling, taking a trip to Spain and France my senior year truly broadened my horizons. It was an amazing opportunity to grow and learn about the rich culture these countries possess; it also has made me begin to think seriously about opportunities to study abroad during my time at
Finish, Finish, Go, and Go you just set the new world record. Every four years lots of people gather around a pool cheering for Olympians. It is a very noisy place. A lot of Olympians that are part of the summer Olympics are very athletic, they swim all year around. The swimming Olympic history and background is very interesting. They have done so many new things over that past couple of years. They come out with new rules every year to make things more fair and challenging. There are a lot of events and tons of records that have been broke. A lot of Olympians have set future goals to stride for. I was swimming the 200 meter fly I was at a really good time when I had 50 meter sprint left at the end all I could think about was I’m going to set the new world record. Olympic swimming is a very fun sport it is very athletic. Every year in the summer time every one always sits around a TV watching this it is very famous in America. Swimmers from all around the world come and here and compete. There is a lot of competition there I have found out a lot about the history of swimming. There are a lot of events and tons of records that have been broke. A lot of Olympians have set future goals to stride for.
The one thing that an athlete doesn’t want to hear is that they cannot play their favorite sport because of an injury they recently got. This actually happened to me when I injured my knee while lifting high amount of weight. After my lifting class I was walking perfectly and prepared to get through the rest of the day. Only an hour later I couldn’t walk with my right leg and had to limp through the rest of the day. Two hours after I was limping and trying not to cry from the sharp, acute sting in my right knee.
Have you ever had a moment in time that seems like minutes or hours even though it was only a few seconds? Have you ever seen everything before you play out in slow motion, where you are aware of everything around you, yet not knowing what was going on? I have, and as I look back on it, I feel very blessed and protected. On March 21, 1987, I decided to take a little swim in our swimming pool and almost drowned.
When I was in high school, I achieved the Most Valuable Swimmer award two different years. The two years I received this award was my first year on the swim team and my last year on the swim team. This achievement is important to me because it was the only thing I have done besides academics that showed me that if I worked hard and was dedicated there would be something to show for it. I have always been so focused on school, but swim allowed me to go outside of my comfort zone and talk to people. What pushed me the most was that swim is both an individual and team sport and I loved both aspects of it. I am able to work well alone and in a group and that is really what helped me to achieve this award. The first year I got this award it gave
I want to delve into swimming as my passion and talk about how it has changed my life. I cannot even remember when I first began swimming. I feel as though I have been in the water all of my life, from floating at swimming lessons to senior year of competition teams. For me, swimming began as a hobby but, over the years, it evolved into something that was much more. No matter how stressed or upset I became, I felt as though I could always escape through swimming.
Swimming has been my whole life, since I jumped into the pool for the very first time. I loved every aspect of swimming from the adrenaline running through my body during my races and getting to spend even more time with my friends and my sister, and the stress of big meets coming up in the schedule. Except everything didn't go according to plan after the first day of school when I got home and I saw my parents sitting by my sister on the coach and my sister was crying.
Describe any small or significant changes experienced during and after this process. Did this project help address your stress?