By Erin Himes, Swimming World College Intern
When I climbed out of the pool after the last 1650 of my junior season, my first thought was one of relief. I was thrilled that I finished the race, that I went a new best time, and that I finally could get some rest. But the second thought was one of panic, as I realized that one year from now, that 1650 signals the end of my 16-year swimming career.
I don’t think my story is dramatically different from most: I started splashing around in a casual summer league as a six and under, joined my local club team the following fall, and never looked back. Somehow, through the past 16 years of swimming devouring all of my time, I have never burned out. I have never wanted to quit. I have never wanted to miss a single practice. And as I look back, there is a clear reason why: the community that swimming has given me is unparalleled.
A moment that showed me the value of the community I was part of came during my sophomore year of high school. I was at my lowest, I had been striving for my District cut in the 500 free for months, but simply could not nab it. I would go to practice every day, hold paces much quicker than the cut itself, and go to the meets filled with nervous energy I could not seem to shake. It was a story swimmers know all too well: I was putting in all the work, but for some reason I was just not getting the results I wanted.
Photo Courtesy: Sheila Himes
Finally, at my second to last meet, I looked up at the clock to see that I had missed the cut by .05. As I jumped out of the pool, I looked at my high school coach, and before I could even show a bit of emotion, she looked at me and said, “They’re giving you a chance to time trial it, and I think you should do it.”
As I decided to try it one more time, I was approached by two of my club swimming teammates who wanted to swim that 500 by my side, setting the pace for me so that I knew where I was. I did not end up getting the cut that day, but I did a few days later at my last meet. Regardless, that day defined my swimming career.
In that race, I felt more love and support through swimming than I ever had before. Without that race, I might not have wanted to keep pushing, but because of those coaches, parents, and teammates, I did, and I continued swimming through college with more love for the sport than I ever thought possible.
As I reflect with one year to go, I know that one year from now the people will be what I miss the most. The water, thankfully, will always be there, but after we all scatter post-college, I will not have a team to turn to push through every workout with. I will always be a swimmer, but I will not always be on a swim team. And while that is terrifying, I have seen time and time again the swimming community prove its stretch and commitment to those who are a part of it. I have seen coaches and teammates rally to support swimmers in the midst of tragedy and in moments of light. Whether showing support in or out of the pool, the people you meet through swimming are without a doubt what makes this sport so unique.
When I was struggling through my toughest days in the water, people rallied behind me to get me through. So with one year left, I’m swimming not only for myself, but for every teammate and coach that helped push me to be my best somewhere along the way. And I can only hope I’ve done the same for others, because in the end, I think that is what this sport is all about.