Advice to My Younger Swimmer Self: Appreciate the Journey

Advice to My Younger Swimmer Self: Appreciate the Journey

And instantly it was over. Twenty-two years of aggressive swimming got here to an finish inside a cut up second on a random Saturday in March. My hand touched the wall for the final time and my aggressive swimming journey ended a lot quicker than it started. There are many moments I want I may relive in my swimming profession and plenty of issues I want I may inform my youthful self.

When I used to be 10 years outdated, all I wished to do was develop up – to be taller, stronger, quicker. Each swim meet I competed in, I instantly appeared to the subsequent one. I approached races in a similar way, one down, 5 to go. Two down, three to go. The sport of swimming is far more than merely swimming. So a lot of swimming occurs in between races and in between practices. Little did I do know that these age group meets have been a few of the finest experiences of my profession. Playing playing cards between races, spending all weekend with my associates, getting takeout with my household on the best way residence. I want I may inform my youthful self to decelerate and be within the second. The practices could go by sluggish, however the years go by quick.

Success is commonly measured by one final purpose. If the purpose will not be reached by the tip of the season, it’s simple to see the entire season as a failure. And let me let you know if that was the case, I failed many occasions over my swimming journey. I can’t rely what number of occasions I walked away from a championship meet feeling defeated and discouraged. Times could also be a straightforward solution to monitor progress, nevertheless progress will not be linear. Setting and reaching small objectives are essential to the larger image.

Take it one stroke at a time, one wall at a time, one follow at a time, and one meet at a time. I want I took a broader strategy to the season to really mirror on how success might be measured in multiple manner. Dropping time is nice, nevertheless so is having a finest in-season time, nailing a tough follow, pacing a race higher, efficiently doing a crossover flip with no DQ, including another underwater to a breakout, and so forth. Just as a result of a purpose was not reached, doesn’t imply there’s nothing to be happy with. Resiliency will get you far.

Summer Finke

Swimming to the surface world is seen as a person sport. You dive within the water and you’re utterly alone with simply the sound of water dashing by and your ideas. You alone management the result of your race. However, what the surface world doesn’t see is the infinite hours spent coaching alongside teammates, the numerous weekends spent laughing in between races at swim meets, and the unconditional help from coaches, relations and associates.

When I used to be youthful, I used to be very caught up in my very own races. I’d spend nearly all of the meet locked in to my music, making an attempt to dam out the noise round me. It wasn’t till I received to school that I noticed how a lot I missed out on. My pre-race routine modified from being remoted, to dancing and laughing alongside my teammates. Cheering for my associates in between my races whereas nonetheless with the ability to give attention to my outcomes. Take time to construct your group. Become a pacesetter and uplift these round you. Not solely will it make your group higher, however it’ll make you higher within the course of.

Looking again on my experiences, some could have thought that my previous regrets could have been not “swimming faster.” However, I want that I slowed down, loved the trip, and noticed the true fantastic thing about the game whereas I used to be in it. When my hand touched the wall for the final time, I really understood that it was concerning the journey and never the vacation spot.

Summer Finke is an everyday contributor to Swimming World. A two-time qualifier for the United States Olympic Trials, she competed collegiately for North Carolina State University and was a multi-time NCAA Championships qualifier.