All my life I have been a swimmer. From the time I was five years old, it has been as influential and as significant of a commitment as school. I originally started swimming because my mother wanted me to develop a hobby; she always said “one of the most dangerous things people can have is too much free time.”

When I started off, I did not enjoy it very much. I nearly quit when I was ten but developed a newfound enjoyment of the sport. Since then, swimming has evolved to become my favorite hobby, one that has shaped me in countless ways. I have made many friends, some from different states, which have withstood the test of time. Whereas my school friends and I have started to drift apart since going to college, I keep in touch with my old teammates as well as developed new ones.

This sport has taken me many places, whether physically, mentally, or literally; anywhere from physically and mentally exhausting practices to quite literally traveling to different states for competitions. My familiarity with the sport resulted in me being a volunteer coach for a local summer league swim team in my spare time. Once again, swimming has introduced me to a completely new relationship dynamic where I am a mentor to younger athletes.

Perhaps less significant, my comfort around the swim pool prompted me to become a lifeguard as my first official job. No matter which angle I look at it, swimming has been a beneficial life and learning experience; wherever it takes me, my life story is not complete without it.