"Swimming in the [pool] come and find me"-Drake

     Well back to the question, What am I?”  Well for some odd reason even though I no longer a swimmer, it’s the first thing I say. 

  I swam competitively for 10 years, during which time my entire life literally revolved around the sport.  I spent 6 days a week, 3 hours a day in the pool and once or twice a month I was away for the weekends at swim meets.  Balancing being a kid and my rigorous training schedule was not easy but I did it because I enjoyed it first and foremost and also because I was striving to reach a goal.  My goal was to receive a swimming scholarship and compete at Division I school.   Unfortunately I was unsuccessful in my goal because of an injury I sustained my junior year of High School.  I severely hurt my leg doing Track which made it impossible for me to compete at the level I needed to.  Although I didn’t reach my goal of swimming in college I still do not regret a single day that I spent swimming. I met my best friend through swimming and formed other lasting friendships.  I learned time management and discipline from swimming, something I feel cannot be easily taught. Today, though I no longer compete, I am still actively involved in the sport in the form of coaching as well as giving swim lessons.  The swimming world is one that I cannot seem to escape from but then again I wouldn’t want to either.  The years I spent swimming is something I will always be proud of and in describing myself I still always refer to myself as a swimmer.  Once a swimmer, always a swimmer is what I like to say.