8 Types of Swimmers You Will Encounter During Your Aquatic Journey
By Evangelia Vasilakis, Swimming World College Intern.
Every swimmer knows that throughout your career, you meet many people. From age group to college, we encounter many of the same types of swimmers. Each swimmer has their own personality, mentality, and each is important to the team. And their unique habits are loved and often envied.
1. Never At Practice, But Fast At Meets
We all know swimmers who never show up to practice, but are always at meets. They also happen to be really fast. Nobody can understand how they swim so fast, but they always do. We question if they have superpowers, or if they can breathe underwater.
2. Bubble Ring Masters
There is always one swimmer on the team who masters the art of blowing bubble rings. I always laugh when I see them floating at the bottom practicing their talent. These swimmers are often the quirkiest and nicest swimmers. They have this fun talent that can amuse the rest of the team and bring a smile to their faces!
3. The Counter
This swimmer will always know exactly how long the set will take. At the beginning of the set, they will add up all the yardage and tell everyone to the minute what time they will finish. They also are amazing at counting how many calories they burned. This swimmer also always know how many yards the team did! The math skills on display are ridiculous.
4. The Napper
We all have people on our team that can nap anywhere. On the floor, bleachers, buses, and even in the locker room. Many times, swimmers are stuck in between sessions with no place to rest their heads. Many swimmers have adapted and figured out how to make themselves comfortable in even the most unique places. I personally relate to this one! These swimmers can be found napping on the deck before practice or after. They never miss the opportunity to sleep!
5. Naturally Talented
You can never tell if these swimmers are trying or not. They look and seem so natural in the pool and they love everything about swimming. I have always been jealous of these swimmers. They always do well in their races and at practice. They make the art of swimming look easy, although they are most likely working really hard.
6. The Hard Worker
This swimmer loves to swim and always works hard. You will never find them skipping practice or dryland training. They are always the first one in the water and they are natural born leaders. When the rest of the team sees them working hard, it inspires them to do the same. I have always looked up to these swimmers because of their drive.
7. The Scholar
This swimmer knows everything you need to know about swimming. They are the ones everyone goes to when they have a question. This swimmer tends to be older and has been through the ringer. They know the ins and outs of the team. This swimmer can tell you exactly everything you need to know about an upcoming meet, a pool, and a recent professional championship. They always are happy to give advice and they often know how to coach.
8. The Snacker
This swimmer is always eating a snack. They can be found almost anytime near or with food. Swimmers are constantly hungry due to the amount of calories burned while practicing. This swimmer takes full advantage of that and makes sure to try many different snacks! I have seen this swimmer eat between sets and breaks at practice and I always wonder how they do it. They know the crucial importance of fueling their body and do not take their snacks lightly.
Each swimmer is special to a team. These different types of swimmers present a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and they are found everywhere. Some make us laugh and others make us angry, but in the end, without the quirky dynamic of different personalities, a team would be missing its uniqueness.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.