Here is another taste of an essay I just wrote for my college application to Stanford University. I am more pleased with this one, as I believe having more words to use helped me to better express myself.
It was early; it was late. For me, a novice member of the South Medford Swim Team, both appeared to be true. Well-known as a time to be trudging through last-minute homework, five in the morning was not a place that I liked visiting…ever. However, when the opportunity presented itself to join my peers at the YMCA for swim practice, I snapped it up. Why? The reason escapes me.
After my first day of waking up to the fire alarm-like sound of my alarm clock at 5 a.m., the glassy waters at the pool quickly cooled me off. The workout exhausted my body, leaving it in a state of disbelief. Swimming, a sport no usually associated with the proverbial “blood, sweat, and tears” of other activities, proved itself a modern example of Darwin’s survival of the fittest. The first practice behind me, and still that question loomed in my mind, “Why are you here?” It takes guts to flail around at the “Y” for two hours, face submerged in water while your muscles attempt to operate with the short supply of oxygen that comes courtesy of only being able to breath every third stroke.
Perhaps that is the reason I subjected myself to such torture every morning for months on end? No, I’m not a masochist! As a competitor, I thrive on the challenge, the discipline, the willpower it takes to finish the race.
With daily practice comes a daily routine, rituals that help my body to function when my brain doesn’t want to get out of bed. During the cold winter months of swim season, nothing is left unscathed in the night by Mother Nature. Changing out of my warm pajamas is only possible after the dryer has tossed my sweats for several minutes, giving them the heat to scare away my chills and shivers. While waiting, I battle several yards from the front door to my car, which is frozen over, and needs to be started. If I don’t die from hypothermia, I am always afraid that heave eyelids will overcome, leaving me vulnerable to falling asleep at the wheel. Before I go, I make sure to tell my parents I love them.
Every day, I dip my foot into the water, as if it might have gotten warmer since I last was there. This remains my biggest challenge each day, making that decision. I stand inches from the edge, knowing I don’t need to stay, knowing that a warm bed and a cuddly puppy await me in my room should I turn around and never come back. Jumping in signals the point of no return. Frigid water encapsulates my flesh, triggering a response to swim, and keep swimming until my body heat rises and I can swim no more. Free will is not a fun thing at a moment like that, but with my goal in mind, I descend into that unforgiving cube.
Besides the exhaustion and lack of sleep, several less talked about side effects are associated with swimming every morning. The main one being the smell. Like chicken marinating in the fridge overnight, a swimmer is left with the pungent odor of chlorine that no soap or body wash can take away. Not only do you reek of it, you sweat it. Any strenuous activity outside of the pool will cause you to perspire chlorine-scented sweat. It doesn’t go away, but the girls sure do. Practice, exhaustion, weird odors, and sore muscles, will it ever stop?
There is no foreseeable future for a person like myself in swimming. The district meet is a showcasing of the top talent in the conference, something I am not. I remain the poster child of swimmers who advocate less revealing swimsuits. Despite my downfalls, I continue in this extreme sport. Being motivated by discipline is a powerful phenomenon that can inspire humans to reach for a goal, no matter its measure.
So what has been my goal? What payoff has given me the willpower to take that chilly plunge each dawn? I see life in holistic terms- I am the essence of my mind, body and spirit. I can now admit that my steely mind of fullness of spirit where hindered at times by my body’s shortcoming, primarily a lack of fitness. By choosing to swim, I have acquired a resource I did not have before, finding more time to pursue my personal fitness goals. I have traded slumber for swimming and the results have been extremely satisfying. Sure, it was a rocky road to travel, but with the right attitude and a strong determination, it is possible to conquer any goal. It is all a matter of believing in oneself.
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