Personal Narrative: The Sport Of Swimming

When I was 8 years old I started swimming competitively for Greenville Swim Club. I started swimming with them because I wanted to become more competitive in Greenville's local summer swim league. From those beginnings, my love for swimming grew. I slowly became more involved and committed to competitive swimming, and it has now shaped me into the person that I am today.

Swimming throughout my life has allowed me to gain many valuable qualities that have been vital to my success in high school and life. Because swimming is truly an individual sport, you must be accountable for how hard you push yourself. I am responsible for my own actions in the pool. No one has control over how fast I swim or how hard I work. Therefore, I am ultimately responsible for how much I improve in the sport.

My average day consists of two two-hour practices plus an hour of dryland workouts at the pool. For forty-eight weeks out of the year, I train like this six days a week so I can swim fast in just three or four races that last anywhere from thirty seconds to five minutes, dropping time only two or three times a year. The strenuous schedule for minimal results can be mentally challenging on anyone. It takes true dedication and mental toughness to be a talented swimmer.

Swimming also teaches me time management. I also must attend school, study, eat, and do homework in between practices. Throughout my week free time is limited and finding the time to do homework can be a struggle. On top of this, I am also a skilled pianist and have to find time to practice. To be successful in swimming, school, and life in general I must plan out how I use my time carefully. Through swimming I have learned this important life skill that will benefit me the rest of my