This past weekend, I swam at the East Coast Collegiate championship for swim clubs across the nation (the "east coast" part of the name is misleading). There were over a thousand swimmers from countless schools in attendance and the ability levels ranged from slow (me) to some of the fastest that I've seen. Overall, it was a great meet and it was also my last.

My last meet made me think about my "career" as a swimmer. I've been swimming ever since the age of eight. My mom decided that I had to be a great swimmer because we lived on a lake and she wanted me to be safe. After that, it just kind of stuck. I tried other sports, but swimming is what I kept going back to. I had my ups and my downs and there were those days when I really didn't want to get into the pool (every fall weekday at 5:50 a.m. through all of high school), but, looking back, I'm glad that I did it. I've made friends, I've stayed kind of in shape, and I've learned a lot from the sport. It's taught me to be dedicated, to have goals, and to work with friends, even in something as seemingly singular as swimming.

As I think about the probable end of my formal swimming life, I wonder what I'll do next. Will I keep swimming? Will I become a bum and never work out again? (It's tempting.) Will I do something entirely different? Who knows? However, I do know that there's something to be said for the structured life of a swim season and team. You know that you have to swim, so you do, and you end up enjoying it and getting better. So, for all of you swimmers out there who just can't wait to get off of your team, enjoy it while you have it. Soon, you'll be trying to force yourself to go to the pool and being proud of a day when you swim over a thousand yards (sadly, this happens a lot). It's really not the same.

Swimming, thank you for giving me all of my memories and experiences. I'm so happy that I chose you as my sport (high school me is cringing at that sentence) and I can't wait to see how we work together in the future.