Personal Narrative: How Swimming Changed My Life

Westfield High School swimmers practiced for one last day on January 6 before the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, which would be the following day hosted by Brownsburg and would also mark less than a month before the team’s most important meets, sectionals and state, begin.

There is a quote by Henry Ford, “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a process, working together is a success”. As a newcomer athlete on the Aquahawgs Swim Club, I was very cautious and weary of my behavior on the first day. Show up, do the practice, keep quiet, and go home. This mindset got me through the first 3 months and were by far the worst months of my entire athletic career. I was isolated, forced to create my own motivation and be my own critic. I hated the sport. For some reason that I still wonder about, I stayed, but enthusiasm was not present. I truly believed that I was a liability to the team because of my lack of performance in meets. That was truly my dark time. My saving light came in the form of 4, awkward,

When I attended my first Empire Senior Dinner five years ago, I always wondered about what it would be like to stand up here. About to finish high school, about to finish Empire, and move on to college. It doesn’t seem too long ago when I thought that seemed eternally far away. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.

“McClure, you are a waste of oxygen and life”, my verbally abusive coach spit from him flaming mouth one last time as I walked out of his office. I was numb, and in shock, but relaxed, oddly feeling at peace with myself and my decision. Soccer had brought so much confidence, passion, work ethic, and pure joy to my life, it was something so stable and rewarding for 15 years. 15 years of endless passion enwrapped in pain and sweat, accompanied by life lessons I could not have gone on without, yet within 2 years, this wonderful aspect of my existence collapsed.

I grew up with a love towards sports. Sure I started off in ballet and gymnastics but one day my best friend told me I should play soccer with her. So of course I begged my mom to let me do another sport. Little did I know soccer would have such a big impact on my life. I started off with playing recreational league soccer. My first coach, was my softball coach, and he decided I would be a perfect forward. As the years went on and I got a different coach my position changed. I went from a forward to a midfielder then finally a defender.

My life was changed this summer after my winter swim team received unexpected news. We were told that we would no longer be able to practice at the same pool as before, leaving all of the swimmers without a place to practice. Unfortunately, this meant that my team, the Tiger Sharks, would no longer exist. I was devastated and now forced to bring myself upon a new team with unfamiliar faces. On my new team the head coach, Coach Bill, was able to assist me in making this transition easier and he was also exceptionally inviting to me and the other new swimmers. His unique training allowed me to immensely improve my swimming.

During the swim season of my sophomore year I was at the peak of my swimming career. I was swimming great times and had a very successful season. Prior to the regional swim meet I was qualified and all I had to do was swim my qualifying times to advance to the 1A/2A state swim meet. Exactly one week before the regional meet I broke my foot in two places. I was heartbroken because for a swimmer this is what you train for all year long. I felt like all my hard work and hours in the pool were for nothing. I immediately began physical therapy and told my parents I wanted to try and swim the following Saturday at regionals. My foot was not in a cast, but in a boot. My physical therapist even told me there was no way I would be able to swim at regionals.

My parents tell me that I took to swimming like... a fish takes to water. It is a safe place where I can float free of worries. Driven by passion and dedication, I decided to begin swimming competitively. Competitive swimming requires an intense level of determination and discipline. Forcing myself to get out of my warm bed at 5:30 in the morning to put on a still-slightly-damp swimsuit and stand in 40-degree weather waiting for practice to start. Putting up with limited lane space and irritating swimmers who think they are faster. Making a conscious effort to work on my stroke form, turns, touches, and techniques. The water becomes a whirlpool of injuries, losses, wins, friendships, enemies, and sickness. The water becomes home.

“Eliana, stop swimming so close to the wall!” My high school swim coach would yell, at least once every practice. While being a successful high school swimmer and trying to maintain my high GPA, I have faced many obstacles. Some of them being physical barriers, like injuries, due to too much swimming, or struggles with too much AP homework, but I never expected the biggest obstacle in my high school swimming career to be the one in my head.

My report card from first quarter gave me a rude awakening. At my old school, I had no difficulty balancing my swim practice schedule with academics. This all changed when I came to Prep. I had never experienced such demanding academics, and these academics combined with my rigorous swim schedule took a toll on my grades. I practice Monday before school, Tuesday before and after school, Wednesday before school, and Thursday and Friday after school. I had difficulty juggling schoolwork with this grueling practice schedule, and my grades reflected that. I needed to find an effective strategy that enabled me to keep going to practices, and have sufficient study time so I could improve my grades. I made an effort to go to bed at 8:30 P.M. on the

“Give me a second!” I hollered back. I took my sweet time smoothing the sunscreen to my caramel skin. I hopped down the stairs, taking three steps at a time, as I did when I was rushing. Peering out the open front door, I could see everyone was already on their way to the pool. I hurried to catch up, moving as quick as a firemen answering a call.

“Get up now,” My mom yelled down the hallway. “Hurry or you’ll be late!” My brother and I dreaded waking up early to swim, but we had chosen to commit. Even though I’ve competed every year since first grade, I still struggled. That summer swimming taught me to have stamina, the ability to not quit even though it was hard.

It was the day I had been waiting for all season; the ultimate test of my swimming career thus far. Sections day one had finally rolled around. I had just finished my brief warm up, and I got ready to rest before my crucial race. I threw on my blue, nylon warm up and wrapped my bulky parka around my body. I nestled on the bench next to my friend Liberty, and we began playing music to pump us up before the race ahead. I sat lingering patiently in the yellowy-lit University of Minnesota-Morris pool area as the musty smell of chlorine filled the air. I leaned back and shut my eyes to visualize my upcoming race and let the music pacify me. I was frigid as I sat anticipating the race.

When I first learned how to swim, I was 5 years old. My family and I were outside by the pool and I was on a float in the water. My brother and dad were in the water while my mom and sister were tanning on the deck. My mom got hot and started to get in the water. My dad came behind me and flipped me. I really didn't know how to swim so i was drowning. I was trying to push myself up when my mom grabbed me and picked me up. I went to go lay down by my mom when my dad picked me up again. My dad started to fake throw me in. My mom, brother, and sister all went inside. When they got insdie, my dad grabbed me and threw me in again. I thought I was gonna die but then I started to doggy pattel. My mom came outside and started to freak out. I told

It all started on June 2014, I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I was underweight and was always out of breath. I ran like a turtle. At that time, I weighed only 115 pounds. I wanted to make a change for the better, wanting a better lifestyle. So I decided to sign up for the gym. That day changed my life forever. The gym made me fit, healthier, but most importantly it made me a better person which is who I am today.