Being a swimmer means more than simply playing a sport,

it means participating in something larger than yourself,

where dreams can be created or crushed by a fraction of a second.

Being a swimmer means making unforgettable memories with lifelong friends

it means encouraging and supporting them in the middle of a grueling Monday morning set

and cheering and congratulating them after achieving a goal they once deemed unattainable.

Being a swimmer means rising while the rest of the world stands still,

it means hungrily striving towards dreams that take years to form a reality

while watching the sun’s early morning rays rise over the pool day in and day out.

Being a swimmer means carrying around the sticky aroma of chlorine like a backpack,

it means coping with parched skin and goggle-rings and post-practice exhaustion,

while lurching around the halls with lactic acid flooding my body.

Being a swimmer means feeling the sweet rush of adrenaline take control all too often,

It means stepping up to the starting block with my season on the line,

with my sworn rivals taking their mark on either side of me.

Being a swimmer means excruciating pain is required to perform at my best,

it means racing to the death alongside friends and enemies who all ache to touch the wall first,

as they slam into the touchpad – all frantically scanning the looming scoreboard for one thing.

Being a swimmer means fist-pumping in the water after seeing the #1 next to my name

it means gliding to the top of the podium and eagerly accepting the medal

while thinking how all the sacrifices and impossible practices had paid off.