By Sophia Chiang, Swimming World College Intern
As holiday season comes up upon us, it’s time to start thinking about who we’re thankful for. Thanksgiving, especially, is a time worshipped by many a swimmer, and there’s little wonder why. A holiday completely dedicated to food? BEST. DAY. EVER.
But Thanksgiving (and the holiday season) is much more than that– it’s a day we should use to reflect on how thankful we are for all that we have. Reflecting upon myself, one thing I definitely don’t do enough is tell the people in my life how thankful I am for their presence– especially how thankful I am to the people in my life who support my swimming career on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, when I’m on the block, it’s easy for me to forget that I’m not alone. I’m backed up by an amazing team of people– without them, I would not have gotten anywhere close to where I am.
So, this Thanksgiving, let’s thank these amazing people…
1. Family
Photo Courtesy: Andrew Seaman
Over the years, my mom has dedicated her entire life to my swimming career. Seriously. Weekends for as long as I remember have been dedicated to meets– and during championship season, those weekends often start Thursday mornings and run to Sunday evenings. My mom has spent an entire decade (and counting!) of her life on pool decks as a timer and as an official, a decade playing chauffeur, driving me to practice up to twice a day, and paying for extra dry land sessions and stroke coaches for me to succeed. My sister grew up on the pool deck watching me swim, missed birthday parties and playdates for my meets, and I can’t even recall her complaining about that even once. Thinking about how much they have sacrificed for me over the years brings tears to my eyes.
We don’t even think about how much time our families have spent over the years on pool decks for us, watching us swim, and the great distances they’ve gone to make our successes happen. We may put the work in the pool, but they put the work in on the long car rides, in on the monetary sacrifices paying for our knee skins, and in on the grueling hours timing for long age group meets. That’s why, this Thanksgiving, think about the cuts you’ve achieved and the cuts you hope to achieve this season, whether they be silver cuts or Olympic Trials cuts, thank your family members extra for the opportunities to chase them, because they’re a big part of the process that has brought you to where you are today.
2. Coaches
Photo Courtesy: Lis í Jákupsstovu
I can’t recall the last time I said “thank you” to my coach for the work he does– apart from the occasional sarcastic “thanks” for drilling my body into the ground. But this thank you is a serious one. Thank you to all of my coaches– from age group to collegiate– for playing coach, parent, friend, psychologist, teacher, guide, and more. Thank you for the days where I spent more hours with you than my parents. Thank you for the hard sets, for the swim out days, for the drylands, for the everlasting belief that I had more potential to be explored. Thank you for the practices where you wouldn’t give up on me even when I gave up on myself. Thank you for the meets where you wouldn’t let up on me even though the girl the next lane over was a foot taller and a whole lot scarier.
Our coaches commit wholeheartedly to us– pushing us to our maximum potentials, showing up for 5 a.m. practices no matter what, and writing sets to get us to the next level. That dedication is awesome, and we don’t recognize that enough. Rather than complaining about practice, give your coach a hug and a thank you today.
But if practice is really hard, you can still complain about it. A little bit.
3. Teammates
Photo Courtesy: J.D. Lasica
These are the people who push us to excel, day in and day out. They make you want to become a better athlete. They drag you to practice and to the gym for extra sessions. The friendly competition in practice gives you that extra edge in the pool. When your motivation is down, these people pick it up.
I consider my teammates some of my closest friends. There’s little wonder why: when you spend upwards of 30 hours a week with these people, you tend to learn almost everything there is to know about these people. They are the first people you hug after you have a good or a bad race, and they are the only people you actually can deal with at 5 a.m. in the morning. My teammates have truly been there for me no matter what comes my way, and to this day, I still haven’t found friends who accept me so unconditionally like they do.
4. Friends
Photo Courtesy: Pepe Pont
By this, I mean the non-swimming friends. The ones you keep blowing off for swim meets, the ones who always complain about how you smell like chlorine but actually don’t really mind. They aren’t swimmers, and they don’t really “get” the obsession, but they understand your commitment and don’t let that affect your friendship. That’s why they’ll keep inviting you to all those parties you’ll keep missing because of swimming, and you know you can always depend on them to lend a sympathetic ear, even though they probably don’t get what’s going on, like why you’re upset that your coach isn’t tapering you for a certain meet. But they’ll always listen.
We don’t consider the sacrifices these people make for us, too. Sometimes, they have to bend their schedules around for us. They come along to our five-hour long championship meet sessions even though they don’t have the faintest idea of what is going on. They’re supportive and excited when you go a best time. These people are rare to find, and they’re going to be there for you in ways the other people in your life won’t be able to. You rock, friends.
So this holiday season, before you dig into your turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc., and satisfy your food obsession, hug your parents, call your coach, send that text to your teammates and friends, and just say thank you. Because the people in your life deserve it. Happy holidays, all.