First off, a big thank you to my parents for taking a chance on this sport and team because my life has never been the same. To anyone who has ever been on a summer swim team — this is for you. To my team, I love you guys.

Thank you for always being a constant in my life. I knew

that every May, I could count on afternoon practices in a freezing cold,

crowded pool. I knew summer would be near and that I would soon be spending my

days at the pool with my friends. You gave me the chance to be great. Starting

from the bottom, I had to work to improve myself. If I wanted to swim at a

certain meet, I had to swim faster. There were no shortcuts — your times tell

all. You taught the values of hard work, perseverance and teamwork through

hours upon hours at the pool, practicing and competing. Some days I would spend

more time at the pool then I would at home. Even at 7 years old, I never

felt small. Everyone was important — an 8-year-old’s points counted just as much

as an 18-year-old’s. You made me feel valued, even on an off day. You taught me

that it isn’t all about winning, and that it especially isn’t all about me

winning. You gave me the chance to become a good sport, learning to wait in the

pool until everyone was done swimming and shaking their hands afterwards. Thank

you for also showing me that I was not the best. I needed to learn that early

on in order to avoid getting hurt in the future.

Thank you for bringing my neighborhood together. The pool is a place where kids are free to play with their friends, but also make new ones. It’s where memories are made. The first time off the diving board, first time passing the swim test, that first time down the slide and the first time getting that blue ribbon — we all remember at least one of these things. The kids came together, but so did the parents. Being poolside forged lifelong bonds between neighbors that would not have happened if everyone just stayed inside watching TV. To all the parents who ever timed, drove their kid to practice, paid for extra lessons, worked at the snack bar (extra thanks there!) and all of those parents in between, thank you! Thank you for the endless donuts, muffins, bagels, burgers and sweet treats. I probably would have starved if not for the food you made us every morning. You all made it look easy, and I could always count on you guys being there year after year. You guys were my extended family when mine was far away. You were my cheerleaders, encouraged me to pursue my dreams and still support me now that I am gone. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. I ended up with an eclectic group of friends. Although we mostly only hung out in the summer, we grew up together, won and lost together, and now we are supporting each other through life, no matter where it takes us.

Thank you to all my coaches who gave me people to look up to and emulate when I grew up. When I was little, I thought you were untouchable and that I would never be as cool as you guys. I now see that you are all just regular people, but regular people that had an extraordinary impact on my life. I would not have found the love for this sport if not for you all. Even the people who did not choose swimming as their main sport in middle school, high school or even college, you taught them basic skills that they would need for the rest of their life. Thank you for teaching me the value of leadership and then giving me the chance to lead. As an older kid on the team, you are there to be a mentor and teacher to the younger kids. They learn from you, the good, bad and ugly. You learn from the older kids, then you become the older kids and people learn from you, and the cycle starts again. I could not say thank you enough, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving me that special time in my life that I would not trade for the world.