Competitive swimming has been a large part of my life for the past twelve years. Now that my time as a young swimmer is coming to a close, I realize the impact my coaches have had on my development as both a swimmer and a person. One coach in particular, Tracy Merke, has influenced my outlook and attitude towards both swimming and life in general. When I joined the YMCA team, I did not know anybody. While my teammates were inclusive, Tracy was extremely kind to me, going out of her way to introduce me to swimmers my age, and making sure I felt comfortable. This small act of kindness impacted me greatly and inspired me to help new swimmers acclimate. One season, I started the winter season fairly pessimistically considering a lack of improvement
