Although it can be seen as just a hobby, being a high-level swimmer has shaped who I am tremendously.
Swimming has taught me endless life lessons.
I’ve been swimming competitively since the age of 5 years old. Since then, I travelled countless times across America to compete against the best in the country, and as of recent across the globe as well. Since as early as twelve years old I was training 11-14 times a week, including 5 am practices every morning. This taught me discipline and time management skills, because although it would’ve been much nicer to be able to sleep in each morning, I pushed myself and my body everyday. I learnt from a very young age that in order to improve and see results then I had to do to the work, and I applied this to all aspects of my life. On top of my training I was also a straight A student, and up into high school I also took AP classes and elective college dual enrolment courses on top of my intense swim schedule. These courses later helped me graduate with my bachelor’s degree an entire academic year early. It would be hard at times, but I was driven to be the best swimmer I could be. I was able to train with Olympians at times, and constantly looked up to them, and pushed myself to be on their level. All the training and hard work paid off when I was able to receive several Division 1 swimming scholarships, and chose to compete at Long Island University Brooklyn. One accomplishment that I believe helped lead to this was being a two-time Massachusetts State Champion in the 100 yard butterfly.
One thing my coaches always emphasized was that the student comes first, before the athlete.
This mantra was important in testing my time management skills, and my work ethic. In undergrad I was able to train the maximum allotted hours by the NCAA at the division 1 level, while working part time and taking 7 courses per semester. The extra courses combined with my AP classes from high school allowed me to graduate an entire academic year early. I also still maintained my grades, getting recognized on the dean’s list every semester, getting NEC conference honor roll recognitions each year, and finishing my last semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA. I believe juggling all of these commitments has set me up to be able to handle real life work situations with ease.
Importance of Teamwork
Another important lesson I’ve gotten from my time swimming is the absolute importance of teamwork. I know this may seem odd, because swimming can be seen as an individualistic sport, but your team really does play a huge role in your individual success. You count on your teammates for so much, from enduring the hard morning practices with you, to being at the end of your lane cheering during your race. You really do get out of your team what you put into it, and all of my favourite swimming memories are thanks to my lovely teammates over the years. The act of lifting others up, and being proud of their accomplishments is something I am thankful I was able to learn through swimming. Your team becomes your family, and in order to compete at our best, we had to learn how to work together most efficiently.
My state champion banner, still hung at my high school pool in New Bedford, MA.
Swim Vlogs
As a part of my journalism classes I made swim vlogs of our yearly training trip with the swim team
