I could do it. That was the only comprehensible thought my oxygen-depraved brain could create while it was screaming for air.
Earlier that day, I had entered the pool room. Chlorine had filled my lungs and echoing splashes filled my ears. All the signs indicated a typical swim team practice was beginning. Five minutes later I stood at the edge of the pool, my swim cap gluing hair to scalp. The whistle blew; warm-up laps had begun. I delicately slid into the water; frigid liquid slowly covered my body. Completing the warm-up took minimal effort but I struggled through practice trying desperately not to fall behind the clock marking our timely laps.
During practice math became my life line; ironically the killer for some is the savior for another. During backstroke I counted the iron ceiling bars, during freestyle it was the lines on the pool floor, during butterfly it was my kicks, and during …show more content…
Sometimes it was the diving board. Sometimes it was a game of sharks and minnows. Today it had been a breathing technique. The goal of the exercise was to swim a full lap without taking a breath. I watched the first girl, an experienced swimmer, swim like a fish to the other end of the pool and back without breathing. I thought that I could do it; in fact I was determined that I could do it. I reasoned that in the past, I had been determined about different challenges and succeeded: the monkey bars by myself, the 1000 piece spherical world puzzle, the broken iphone. With this swim, I could again prove to myself that hard work and determination was still rewarding. I created an imaginary pro vs. con list in my head about the seemingly feasible feat. Pros: Swim coach would finally recognize me, possible move to competitive practice lane, possible assignment to competitive races at meets. Cons: Failure in front of everyone. The pros outweighed the cons so I took on the
Earlier that day, I had entered the pool room. Chlorine had filled my lungs and echoing splashes filled my ears. All the signs indicated a typical swim team practice was beginning. Five minutes later I stood at the edge of the pool, my swim cap gluing hair to scalp. The whistle blew; warm-up laps had begun. I delicately slid into the water; frigid liquid slowly covered my body. Completing the warm-up took minimal effort but I struggled through practice trying desperately not to fall behind the clock marking our timely laps.
During practice math became my life line; ironically the killer for some is the savior for another. During backstroke I counted the iron ceiling bars, during freestyle it was the lines on the pool floor, during butterfly it was my kicks, and during …show more content…
Sometimes it was the diving board. Sometimes it was a game of sharks and minnows. Today it had been a breathing technique. The goal of the exercise was to swim a full lap without taking a breath. I watched the first girl, an experienced swimmer, swim like a fish to the other end of the pool and back without breathing. I thought that I could do it; in fact I was determined that I could do it. I reasoned that in the past, I had been determined about different challenges and succeeded: the monkey bars by myself, the 1000 piece spherical world puzzle, the broken iphone. With this swim, I could again prove to myself that hard work and determination was still rewarding. I created an imaginary pro vs. con list in my head about the seemingly feasible feat. Pros: Swim coach would finally recognize me, possible move to competitive practice lane, possible assignment to competitive races at meets. Cons: Failure in front of everyone. The pros outweighed the cons so I took on the