My Formal Farwell to Swimming
I’ve officially been out of the water for a year and I can honestly say it was very difficult uprooting the sport from my lifestyle. I remember the grind of morning practices, multiple training sessions a day, consuming the calories needed to get me through workouts, getting enough sleep, and staying on top of my academics. It all made me mentally and physically stronger so that I can compete fearlessly and without doubt. I’m grateful for everything the sport has made me, driven, disciplined, confident, and strong. It was integrated in my very being, and it set me up for having that same dedication in other aspects of my life. I put my heart into it everything I do and make sacrifices so that one day I can look back and see all the hard work that made me who I am. I got to travel around the country and make amazing relationships along the way. My family and friends supported me through it all and sacrificed to see me compete, sometimes even making long trips to come see me swim for just a few minutes. Now I‘m the one sitting in the stands to watch my sister, I can’t tell you how proud she makes me.
I was blessed with so many opportunities and I am forever grateful. I knew I wasn’t going to swim my entire college career, as I am going for my pharmacy doctorate and my MBA. A lot of people like to say that I quit swimming, but in reality, I knew when I was done. I knew I wasn’t going to go to the Olympics, like most people stereotypically think all swimmers do. Even though I was in my best physical shape, long term, high intensity training leads to injury, which I had difficulties with. I’ve let my muscle tone go down considerably since stopping. I miss being huge sometimes, but I also like fitting my shoulders into shirts and dresses ha. I think the part I miss the most was my connection to the water, and I think that’s why I avoided going back to get some laps in; I was scared I was going to feel like a toddler who couldn’t stay afloat. But when I went back to swim, I still felt that muscle memory connection, it was all still there.
Swimming helped shape me into the person I am today and I’m grateful for the journey.