So, it's summer and you know what that means... TIME TO HIT THE POOL AND BEACH !
I truly love swimming, and it's something that helps me maintain health but also a healthy level of athletic competition. Keep on reading to follow my swimming journey.
At an early age, my parents understood the necessity for me to learn how to swim. Consequently, I spent my summers taking swim lessons at the YMCA. While I was far from being the best swimmer in my group, I continued to love splashing in the water and trailing behind the rest. I also had a great time jumping "pencil" style off the high diving board. Even though I am terrified of heights today, I am baffled at my audacity of jump off a flimsy foundation into an even deeper pool. Anyways, I learned how to swim and enjoyed my time at the beach as my parents laid slightly more in peace, knowing I could float above the water and tread.
Once my YMCA summer swim sessions ended, I simply continued to swim at my neighborhood, which seemed much larger at the time. While I was simply content on floating around in that rectangular pool, my body urged for water domination. I would race my neighborhood buddies and found myself adept, but I never joined a swim team until much later. There I was... a smiling Asian boy who could swim faster in freestyle. Of course, my dad would constantly push me to swim the dreaded laps. Those laps seemed like the entire ocean at the time. One length of the pool tired me out quickly, but I continued to refine my skills. Summer after summer as I went through elementary and middle school, I would continue my traditions: swim laps, race friends, repeat. Then, finally 8th grade hit and I was imagining myself on the high school swim team.
The summer before my freshman year of high school... my anxiety increased as I frantically practiced in the tiny neighborhood pool. I did not know what to expect for the "swim team tryouts" and I definitely had no experience being on a competitive swim team. I honestly did not know what to expect as I began to truly learn the other 3 strokes: breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke. I was on my own, yet I was excited for a new chapter in my life: "Swims...More"
I finally entered my freshman year, also nervous about the actual school life. Nonetheless, the announcement came for "those interested" in joining the swim team to have a meeting. I came and introduced myself as having no prior competitive swimming background but I swam an hour a day over the summer. Of course, deep down I knew I was depicting myself as more dedicated as I really was. Nonetheless, swimming shifted from being a hobby to an athletic endeavor I dedicated 1-2 hrs/day to. I showed up to the first early morning workout... completely unaware of what a bench press was.
The rest is history. I have been swimming competitively for only two years now, and they have been the best years of my life. I am a strong low-25 freestyler, and I have indeed broken the minute for the 100 free. I swim to live, and I live to swim.
Stay tuned,
Kenny
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