Amid COVID-19, Learning Just How Much the Sport Means
Forced closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately meant that swimmers worldwide were forced to take a step back from the sport that – for many – constituted a large part of their identity. Suddenly, a guilt-free, season-ending break was mandated, a reality that was foreign to the driven, dedicated athlete that resides within all swimmers.
People handled the break in many ways. Some were relieved for the chance to take a step back to mentally and physically rest and recover. Others swam in the ocean or found creative alternatives, desperate to remain in some form of touch with the water. But what everyone was forced to do in such uncertain and unique circumstances was, live a life without swimming. Suddenly, the day wasn’t built around practice times, meal prep or recovery, and we felt the loss of the sport in our everyday lives.
My teammates and I have had several conversations about our relationship with swimming as of late. It is hard to articulate the feelings without trivializing the importance of swimming. Ultimately, we came to the realization that as important as swimming is in our lives, it does not define who we are. As swimmers, we can easily confuse our dedication to the sport with the number of hours spent grinding in the pool and weight room, all too often determining self-worth through our performance.
Often in the thick of the season with hard training and aching muscles, we fail to realize how much the sport is teaching us through the process and, when it was taken away, we had to acknowledge the part within ourselves that belongs to the sport of swimming.
Swimming is not just following a black line up and down a pool. It is the commitment to the early mornings, the ability of coaches to produce greatness from their athletes, the sore muscles and exhausted bodies, the unable-to-shower-off scent of chlorine. And arguably, most importantly it is your teammates and friends who understand the relentless nature of the sport, encouraging you to be your best.
The inability to swim, due to COVID-19, presented a unique opportunity to miss the sport and experience life outside the pool. While swimming is not who we are, it has had a definite hand in shaping us into the people that we are today. It has taught us to trust the process. It has taught us attention to detail. It has taught us determination and drive. It has taught us how to fight for the things we want. It has taught us how to rise above grueling hours and sore shoulders. It has taught us how to be a good teammate.
Now, as pools are reopening, many swimmers have slowly returned to training and competing. After such a long break, practices seem harder than they have ever been, but I would say that I have never loved the sport of swimming more. Through the ups and downs, there has been a shift in perspective for me. Now, waking up in the morning, I get to go to practice, I get to do those muscle-failure-inducing IM sets, and I get to train with my best friends in the world, all with a newfound love for this sport.
Is swimming hard? Ultimately the answer to that question is yes. But do we keep coming back to it every day because we love it? Another resounding yes.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.