You're not alone...
We like to forget this. I'm not saying swimming isn't a team sport, just like you I've spent hours debating this against non-swimmers just as you have, but we do spend a lot of time alone, cut off from the world, staring at a black line.
Then, we go home, go to school, and the terror begins. Our best friends digging knives into our hearts without even knowing it. We take the hits. And more and more we turn away, we turn to ourselves, we close ourselves off from the world outside the water.
By the time we come back home at the end of the day, we are drained. Of energy, of happiness, of motivation. No one cares. No one.
But it's not true! They just can't show it. And you, closing off, turning away, shutting them out, isn't going to make that better.
And when you think there's no one to talk to, turn your head just a little to the right, and you'll see another swimmer, right there, always swimming right beside you. They go through all the same things you do. As surely as you know your team is your family, don't forget that. A family is there to help, to talk to you.
Then, we go home, go to school, and the terror begins. Our best friends digging knives into our hearts without even knowing it. We take the hits. And more and more we turn away, we turn to ourselves, we close ourselves off from the world outside the water.
By the time we come back home at the end of the day, we are drained. Of energy, of happiness, of motivation. No one cares. No one.
But it's not true! They just can't show it. And you, closing off, turning away, shutting them out, isn't going to make that better.
And when you think there's no one to talk to, turn your head just a little to the right, and you'll see another swimmer, right there, always swimming right beside you. They go through all the same things you do. As surely as you know your team is your family, don't forget that. A family is there to help, to talk to you.
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Not giving in. That's all it's about. We hear it all the time, sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. We've had enough of it. We hate that one word so deeply, we despise it. Why always us? Everything, we've given up. And it's not enough. It's never enough.
We hate ourselves for those thoughts, but we all have them. We do.
And there's answers to those questions. Why always us? Because we chose this road. We chose this lane. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
We are on fire. On fire for the water. And when you're playing with fire, it's easy to get hurt. It's easy to get burnt. It's easy to burn out.
I'm sure you've heard that too. You've watched your teammates go, give up, and go the easy way. You've thought "I could never give up" and yet deep on the inside you're longing to know what it's like.
What if I take the easy option? Just once...
Don't.
Where is it you want to go? What is it you want to do? Why is it that you're in the water every free second of the day, torturing yourself, pushing yourself to the limit and then far over it, eating the unbearable pain for breakfast. You've come this far, don't forget why you're here.
We hate ourselves for those thoughts, but we all have them. We do.
And there's answers to those questions. Why always us? Because we chose this road. We chose this lane. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
We are on fire. On fire for the water. And when you're playing with fire, it's easy to get hurt. It's easy to get burnt. It's easy to burn out.
I'm sure you've heard that too. You've watched your teammates go, give up, and go the easy way. You've thought "I could never give up" and yet deep on the inside you're longing to know what it's like.
What if I take the easy option? Just once...
Don't.
Where is it you want to go? What is it you want to do? Why is it that you're in the water every free second of the day, torturing yourself, pushing yourself to the limit and then far over it, eating the unbearable pain for breakfast. You've come this far, don't forget why you're here.
Well? How bad do you want it? Bad enough to keep going?
Then do it. Swallow the tears, salt water is not our thing. Get back into the pool. Finish that one set that seems so much more than physical abuse than swimming. Go to sleep and carry on. Never forget, why do you swim?
Then do it. Swallow the tears, salt water is not our thing. Get back into the pool. Finish that one set that seems so much more than physical abuse than swimming. Go to sleep and carry on. Never forget, why do you swim?
That's the one thought that always helps me. Why do you swim? And I think about it, answer the question in my head, and feel so much better right away.
I know what it's like. Want to hear a little story? I injured my knee about 2 and a half months back. It happened during a fly set, with fins, the kind of set that I love. I've always had terrible knees, but after one kick that may have been just a little strong, just a little too strong, I felt that something happened. Something snapped.
I went to doctor after doctor, and I don't want to bore you with the details, so I'll just say this: it took ages until we found out what it was. Really found out. And from the beginning the very first specialist told me I might need surgery. That I'd be out of the pool, for quite a while. And of course, I did. Surgery next week, they told me. 3 - 4 months no sports. I can swim after 5 weeks, but no kicking. Only pulling. And 1 year until I'm completely healed and back to normal.
2 months after surgery, I'm in the water again. Swimming, sort of. My sets consist of 30 25's, sculling, a few drills, and pulling. Fun, huh? It destroyed me. Ruined me. Still does. I'm itching to swim again, really swim. I have no idea when I'll be good again. When I'll be winning golds again. If I'll ever get to Rio.
But that doesn't matter. They're just worries. I get over them, get up, and keep walking. I'll get back, and I'm sure of it. Giving up's not going to make that easy, crying's not gonna get me back in the pool faster.
I know what it's like. Want to hear a little story? I injured my knee about 2 and a half months back. It happened during a fly set, with fins, the kind of set that I love. I've always had terrible knees, but after one kick that may have been just a little strong, just a little too strong, I felt that something happened. Something snapped.
I went to doctor after doctor, and I don't want to bore you with the details, so I'll just say this: it took ages until we found out what it was. Really found out. And from the beginning the very first specialist told me I might need surgery. That I'd be out of the pool, for quite a while. And of course, I did. Surgery next week, they told me. 3 - 4 months no sports. I can swim after 5 weeks, but no kicking. Only pulling. And 1 year until I'm completely healed and back to normal.
2 months after surgery, I'm in the water again. Swimming, sort of. My sets consist of 30 25's, sculling, a few drills, and pulling. Fun, huh? It destroyed me. Ruined me. Still does. I'm itching to swim again, really swim. I have no idea when I'll be good again. When I'll be winning golds again. If I'll ever get to Rio.
But that doesn't matter. They're just worries. I get over them, get up, and keep walking. I'll get back, and I'm sure of it. Giving up's not going to make that easy, crying's not gonna get me back in the pool faster.
Who can relate? I know I can. But I love swimming. And though I'd give everything up for swimming, I know I wouldn't give swimming up for anything in the world. And you?
I hope I've kind of helped you, I've put a form in somewhere below. Now, if we get back to the friends and family and how they don't understand, why don't you ask them to take a look at this:
I hope I've kind of helped you, I've put a form in somewhere below. Now, if we get back to the friends and family and how they don't understand, why don't you ask them to take a look at this:
I designed a page to help non-swimmers understand us. It might help.