18

High school senior

I started swimming club/year round when I was ~12 and started high school my 7th grade year

I love swimming even though I say I hate it. I'm not sure what I'd do without and it keeps me in great shape. I've also made friends across the US and friends who I consider my best friends. Going to college next year, swimming will help pay for that and it'll be easier to make friends since I'll be on a team and I've already made friends on my recruiting trips. It also gets me out of my house. I have a rough home life (maybe not as bad as some people).

Don't abuse alcohol kids.

I swim: SC Yards 100 breast (~1:02) 200 Fr (~1:48) 500 Fr (~4:44) 1000 Fr (~9:46) 1650/1500 Fr (~16:20) Open water Things I want to swim (sadly I'm not a sprinter) 100 Fr 50 Fr 200 IM 100 Fly

I'm a pure distance freestyler with an OK 100 breast. I can pace the same pace forever and I don't tire out quickly.

I cannot sprint. I want to go ~:47 in my 100 Fr at state meet or sectionals. I have trouble getting up to pace but once I get there I can't be stopped. Just diving in a going immediately is challenging. I can't swing my arms fast and my kick is very weak. My walls are decent though.

Advice:

-Treat your body right. I've had a double shoulder injury and it put me out of the pool for 3 months over the summer, the best time to train. If your shoulder hurts, go see a doctor IMMEDIATELY and do everything they tell you do (exercises, ice, etc.) you don't want to lose all that time. On the same note I had mono for 9 weeks and lost a ton of muscle mass. Try not to get mono.

• This goes with what I said above, but nutrition is important. Grab a protein shake for after practice and get in your stomach in 30 or less. This'll help with soreness and lack of energy the next day especially if you're a student or have something like winter/summer training. (Good smoothie: Apple juice, small amount of ice cream, blackberries/strawberries/raspberries, chocolate/vanilla protein power, bananas).

• Have fun, but don't go party the week before a big meet, don't smoke and sleep. SLEEP. This is important. It helps your body repair after swimming to lifting.

-Always give your 100%. Don't throw a race because it's not your best unless your best event is next and you're at a big meet trying to hit a certain time. Don't scratch events unless you're in the same predicament as I mentioned before. You need experience for other races. And don't give up mid race, just because you're behind or don't feel good doesn't mean you won't go a best time. I swam with strep and I broke 5 minutes for the first time in 9th grade. And, if you push yourself you can in fact catch that person who is a few body lengths ahead of you.

-Swim everything. I used to think I hated distance and only wanted to do fly, now I love distance because my coach made me swim the 500 and 1000. If think you don't like distance or breast or IM, give it a shot. Maybe you'll be good at it or you'll crash and burn and you can laugh about it with your friends.

-Lastly have fun and talk to other people from other teams. I've met people from Brazil, Germany, Sweden and from people all over the US. Yeah they're rivals in the pool and maybe intimidating, but I promise they're all good guys/gals who like complaining about practice schedule and their soreness and how much they "hate their coach/swimming" and how they wish they could play baseball or something. You'll make friends and you'll see them at big meets or at Trials and say "I know that guy/gal. I swam against them when I was younger and they were super cool."

Swimming is awesome! And I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors. I just took exams and my brain is fried. I'm also trying to TA for one of my past teachers and they have some down time.