I was 9 years old, the age where trying different sports was the thing to do. This time was crucial in deciding what sports you would stick with or the ones you would let go of. I was deciding between swimming and cheerleading (polar opposites), and a friend had persuaded me to swim – I thank you for that immensely. Little did I know this was the beginning of a wonderful and rewarding journey I would look back on for years to come.

If swimming has taught me one thing at all, and I would like to add that this is probably the most important thing to learn, it is to always be humble. Being humble is to show modesty, and showing modesty during swimming is not rare at all. The countless amount of friendships and teammates you will encounter over the years is so fulfilling. I, personally, find that swimmers are some of the most humble athletes I know.

No one shows off or goes out of their way to make you feel like any less of an athlete just because you weren’t the best. Everyone sticks together and pushes each other every single day, and not one person does it alone. Knowing you are good is one thing, but being just like everyone else and supporting your teammates and always being a team player is something every single swimmer I know is.

I have learned that you will always have good days, and you will have bad days, as well. It does not mean to completely shut down and avoid all responsibilities for the day. It means to push through it and prove to yourself that you can do anything, even in the worst of circumstances. Your day shouldn't stop just because something didn’t go as planned. There have been plenty of times when I have had good swims, which left me on a high and moved me forward in my training to want more out of myself and out of my workouts.

Then, there have been races when I completely tanked it and have had the worst swims of my life. Those times really got me down because I could not perform to the best of my ability, but I never gave up. I never stopped striving for more and wanting the absolute best from myself. Those times have led me to have the best mindset and have led me to so many accomplishments. Good things can come when you least expect it.

Giving your all and putting in your best effort is going to show results. The results might not come right away, but that does not mean that's a reason to give up. The best results are going to take time. Every single day you would put in so many hours and swim so many yards in the pool and in the weight room just reaching for that goal you set out to achieve.

That one weekend in March when you worked seven months for. Day in and day out, you gave your 110 percent effort just for those few short days to show everyone what you're made of and why you put in so much time and dedicated most of your life to this sport. Those are the days you live for; those are the days you want to happen every day.

There are so many things I would like to say, but writing it on paper just wouldn't do it justice. Swimming has changed my life. It has formed me into the person I am today. I look at things differently; I see things and understand things in different perspectives. I have taken away so much from this sport, and I’m sure the rest of the swimming community could agree. This is a sport that stays with you forever. The chlorine soaks into your skin, and as much as you try to wash it out, it doesn’t seem to go away completely. That's how swimming is for me. It will always be a part of me.

Thank you, swimming, for teaching me life lessons I won’t forget