With the swim season starting this week for DePauw Women’s Swimming and Diving, I thought I would interview some of the team members and ask them why they swim or why they like to swim. Sometimes the sport can be tough because of long hours in the pool and the gym, but there are a lot of upsides to the sport as well. Here are some of the responses I got!
HerCampus: Why do you swim?
Kaitlyn ’21: I love swimming because of the friends that I’ve made through it. Also the fact that I can always improve and get better at something (swimming) has helped me in school and in daily life.
Maddie ’22: I swim because it is physically and mentally challenging. It has made me a hard worker who understands the value of failure and to truly appreciate success when it comes. I have never encountered a sport where the teammates are closer knit. I have truly built lifelong friendships.
Nuna ’22: I swim because it serves as a solace from all the stress of school and everything while simultaneously giving me the drive and discipline to get things accomplished. It also gives me the opportunity to constantly build healthy, lifelong relationships with close friends.
Samantha ’22: I swim because no other activity excites me as much as racing does. I love the concept of working hard even when you are unable to currently see the payoff it will have in the future. I enjoy being surrounded by life-minded people who are extremely motivated in and out of the pool.
Rachel ’21: I love to push myself and I always feel very accomplished after a practice. I also really like the connections. I’ve met great friends. Before swimming I was not very confident, and swimming has just given me a lot of that confidence, and I appreciate that.
Ali ’21: I swim because I get to be a part of an amazing community of people who work incredibly hard on a day-to-day basis and continue to grow not only as athletes but as intellectuals and as individuals as well. It’s fun to watch my friends succeed and watch people grow while going through the same process myself. It keeps me on track and gives me structure too. Swimming teaches a lot more lessons than just how to stay afloat!
Sam ’22: I swim because it is such a rewarding sport. It has given me an amazing group of friends, it makes me physically and mentally tough, and it teaches me an ever-increasing list of lifelong lessons. Even though it can suck at times, the payoff exceeds the challenges 10 times over.
Allison ’20: I swim because I love to compete, and I love the sport. It has gifted me some of the greatest friendships. It has also given me the structure that has made me successful in the goals I try to achieve. Also, morning practices have made me one tough individual…only a swimmer is willing to wake up at 5AM to get in a cold pool every day.