The years have flown by, seniors have graduated, new eras of swimmers have come and gone, yet some things still remain: the love of the sport, traditions, and dedication to your team.
Most swimmers know too well the smell of chlorine (or lack thereof due to immunity) at 6am, the burning sensation after a lactate workout, defeat, success, hard work to only shave tenths and hundredths of seconds off of our times. It all comes with the territory. It's even crazy when you actually sit back and think about it, but there are so many reasons we continue, so many reasons we push our limits no matter the level of exhaustion or hurt. Sure, some might say we're insane. Maybe we are, but maybe that's what makes us succeed in so many facets of life: we have the drive (or the insanity) to pursue anything we set our minds to.
So this article, this one's for my teammates here in college, past and present.
There have been so many people that have come and gone in the four years of my collegiate swimming career, each having an impact on my life. My team is my family, my comfort, my support system, the people that push me, those that I don't think I would have survived without in college. I would not be the person I am today without each and every one of you who has stepped through those Westminster Natatorium doors.
When I say you are all my family, there's a catch to that because there's nothing quite like a swim family. We spend countless of hours in close conditions, we wake up earlier than most sports, we have the longest season, we are thought of as people competing in an individual sport but in reality, we are much more. We defer to one another at all times. When one of us fails, we all fail. We are a close compact unit and a unique one. We are resilient because anytime someone is knocked down, each and every one of us is there to pick them back up, titan strong. That's one of my favorite things about swimming: we appear to be striving for individual goals, and sure at times we are, but when it boils down to the nitty gritty, we are all striving to win together. We work together to get so far because without the person next to you in your lane and in others telling you to work harder, do better, and push a little longer, you would not have that extra strength, guidance, support, or drive to get you where you are today. You would not have competition or the means to show you what it's like to be humble, motivated, and a good teammate.
But us, we have it all. And I want to thank you all. Thank you for making me fall in love with the sport all over again when I thought it wasn't for me anymore. Thank you for teaching me humility, determination, support, strength, resilience, and "LOFO," because where would we all be if we weren't screaming "LAST ONE FAST ONE." Thank you for teaching me to rely on all of you. Thank you for bringing joy to my cloudy days. When I spot a "swim faster get naked" shirt anywhere, a smile always lights up across my face. Thank you for late nights, lots of giggles, stupid mistakes, eating till you can't breath, and walking up stairs at the pace of an 80-year-old woman after a "Super Saturday" practice.
So here's to another brilliant year, a new era, and a team I cannot live without. This one's for you guys: every race, every practice, every push up after we screw up, every hundredth of a second. Swim smarter, not harder. So let's "get in there and get after it."
