- 2022 Spotlight
Personal Statement
Last summer I swam at my first long-distance meet. I was the only one from my team willing to make the 2 hour drive for a chance to compete in the 800 freestyle. It was worth it. I finished the race not only beating my goal time by a full minute but realizing that I loved long distance swimming! I’ve since begun training with the distance coach and regularly competing in the 400 and 500 events. After a certain point during a distance event, it becomes more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Physically finishing with an acceptable time is in large part dependent on being able to mentally finish. That mental challenge is what I love about these events.
Shortly after that meet, I was offered the opportunity to study abroad in Spain for five months, something I had been wanting to do for a long time. It became apparent that I would have very little practice in the water since the nearest pool was a 45 min walk through pedestrian-hostile highways and there was no organized team in the area. Swimming had long since been of paramount importance in my life. I didn’t want to believe that I had to decide between giving up on my dream of studying abroad or giving up swimming for the duration. While I was agonizing over this, one of my father’s friends introduced me to Fernando Martinez, a championship body-builder turned personal trainer who had his own gym in town. All of sudden, I saw an opportunity to restart the essential, structured, dryland training largely unavailable since the start of the pandemic, have an expert help me build the muscle I needed to improve the effectiveness of my strokes, and most of all, remain mentally in the game while abroad. The decision was made. I wasn’t giving up swimming, I was just refocusing my training.
In the end, I managed to get to the pool about 2 or 3 times a month. I traded the inhumane, early morning pool times for 100lb squat presses and long sets for 120lb leg presses. I missed the water, but it really made me realize how much I love the sport and I knew I would come out the other end a stronger swimmer and a stronger person for it all.
