A Swimmer
Swimming has taught me a lot about myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has become my escape and it has become my source of pleasure. I swim to heal and to push myself to the limit; I swim to find out who I am and what I can accomplish.
When I first came into the world of competitive swimming, I wasn’t an incredibly fast swimmer, nor was I all that competitive. I liked the water, and I needed to find a way to get in shape, a way to fit in, and a way to be an athlete. What I found included these things and a whole lot more. What I found was an entirely new world, a world that I can only penetrate in the water. I found a place to go when my everyday life closes in around me; I found a place that has brought me more pleasure than any one thing has ever brought me. The world of swimming has opened so many doors to me, and has also helped me through a lot. It has been a source of pride, and it has given me a sense of accomplishment and purpose; it has given me a way to feel fulfilled. Swimming has become one of the most important aspects of my life, and it has received an incredibly extensive amount of my attention. Swimming is my love; swimming is my life.
When I began to swim competitively, I didn’t really know what it meant to swim competitively, I just swam when I was told to swim and I loved every minute of it. As my swimming career progressed, I realized just how attached I had become, and just how much I desired to progress in the sport. And it wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to win, it wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to break records or reach the meets you have to qualify for, it was that I wanted to get better, I wanted to improve. All I ever wanted to do as a swimmer was to progress and fulfill my goals.
Slowly, though, my goals got higher, and my progress accelerated. As I continued to work harder, and as my experience increased, I began to improve, and I began to understand that I might have a chance of getting somewhere. The better I got, the better I wanted to get. I’ve never been more dedicated to a cause, as I have become to swimming. The harder I’ve worked, the harder I’ve become willing to work, because all of the effort I have put into swimming has been rewarded, and I have slowly improved.
Now, after years of hard-work and determination, I have become a relatively good swimmer. I have progressed into someone who knows what they’re doing in the pool, and I have become a role model for upcoming swimmers. The rewards have begun to outweigh all of the time and effort I have given to this sport. Although, everything I have put into swimming has been repaid with improved times and a feeling of personal accomplishment, one of the most amazing things that swimming has given me is the respect and appreciation of others. Swimming has given me something to be proud of.
I have accomplished so much through swimming, and as I look to someone to thank, I realize that I have but one person to thank. And that one person is myself. I could not have reached the heights that I have reached without the determination, dedication, and love that I have put into this sport. All I ever wanted to do was succeed as an athlete. With swimming, though, I feel like I have done so much more than succeed; with swimming, I feel as though I have found myself and learned more about living than any other aspect of life has ever taught me. And I have done this through myself. I have succeeded merely because I wanted to. I am a swimmer simply because I desired to become one.
“You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”
-- Michael Phelps
Peace,
Justin
When I first came into the world of competitive swimming, I wasn’t an incredibly fast swimmer, nor was I all that competitive. I liked the water, and I needed to find a way to get in shape, a way to fit in, and a way to be an athlete. What I found included these things and a whole lot more. What I found was an entirely new world, a world that I can only penetrate in the water. I found a place to go when my everyday life closes in around me; I found a place that has brought me more pleasure than any one thing has ever brought me. The world of swimming has opened so many doors to me, and has also helped me through a lot. It has been a source of pride, and it has given me a sense of accomplishment and purpose; it has given me a way to feel fulfilled. Swimming has become one of the most important aspects of my life, and it has received an incredibly extensive amount of my attention. Swimming is my love; swimming is my life.
When I began to swim competitively, I didn’t really know what it meant to swim competitively, I just swam when I was told to swim and I loved every minute of it. As my swimming career progressed, I realized just how attached I had become, and just how much I desired to progress in the sport. And it wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to win, it wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to break records or reach the meets you have to qualify for, it was that I wanted to get better, I wanted to improve. All I ever wanted to do as a swimmer was to progress and fulfill my goals.
Slowly, though, my goals got higher, and my progress accelerated. As I continued to work harder, and as my experience increased, I began to improve, and I began to understand that I might have a chance of getting somewhere. The better I got, the better I wanted to get. I’ve never been more dedicated to a cause, as I have become to swimming. The harder I’ve worked, the harder I’ve become willing to work, because all of the effort I have put into swimming has been rewarded, and I have slowly improved.
Now, after years of hard-work and determination, I have become a relatively good swimmer. I have progressed into someone who knows what they’re doing in the pool, and I have become a role model for upcoming swimmers. The rewards have begun to outweigh all of the time and effort I have given to this sport. Although, everything I have put into swimming has been repaid with improved times and a feeling of personal accomplishment, one of the most amazing things that swimming has given me is the respect and appreciation of others. Swimming has given me something to be proud of.
I have accomplished so much through swimming, and as I look to someone to thank, I realize that I have but one person to thank. And that one person is myself. I could not have reached the heights that I have reached without the determination, dedication, and love that I have put into this sport. All I ever wanted to do was succeed as an athlete. With swimming, though, I feel like I have done so much more than succeed; with swimming, I feel as though I have found myself and learned more about living than any other aspect of life has ever taught me. And I have done this through myself. I have succeeded merely because I wanted to. I am a swimmer simply because I desired to become one.
“You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”
-- Michael Phelps
Peace,
Justin
posted by Jw at 8:34 PM
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