At the start of my first year of high school, my dad told me that I had to participate in a sport each year, so I picked swimming because I had some, if not much, experience with the sport—I ended up loving it. Nothing could compare to the comradery between my team mates and I nor the excitement and nervousness I felt right before stepping up to the block for an event. Competing with myself, improving upon my own times, was exhilarating, and contributing to a team helped give me a sense of belonging. Refining the skills required for each stroke demanded many hours after school. However, while not nearly the fastest swimmer, the feeling of accomplishment after completing a particularly difficult practice set or after seeing the work come to fruition during competition made it all well worth it. More importantly, aside from enhancing my swimming abilities, participating in the sport also elevated my overall confidence. It helped make me a happier, healthier, more outgoing individual who is confident in their abilities. Not to mention, I made some of my closest friends through swim—friends who have stuck with me for years and will hopefully be with me for years to come. What started out as half-hearted, indifferent, compliance has morphed and reinforced productive personal development that I continue to embrace to this day.