Saying Goodbye to Swimming: A Year of Lasts

Photo Courtesy: Isabelle Robuck

By Isabelle Robuck, Swimming World Intern.

Swimming is our identity. It runs in our blood – messy chlorine buns and dry skin follow us around everywhere we go, whether we like it or not. We’re naturally labeled as the “swimmers,” because, well, that’s about all we know. The wonderful friendships woven together with fun inside jokes and unforgettable stories make swimming forever one of our greatest journeys. At some point, however, it all comes to an end, and we must hang up our cap and goggles.

Photo Courtesy: Isabelle Robuck

While some look forward to the rightfully earned break, others mourn the end of what made us who we are. Sure, our lives aren’t over, but a part of it is – and that’s really something to think about. It can be unpredictable and sudden; unexpected circumstances can add a road block to the plans we have. Sometimes, unfortunately, it can even end them.

So, what do we do next? Where do we go? Whether we’re injured or we’re seniors, our future contains a big question mark, and we have the power to choose what happens next. For college seniors, they have a lot to look forward to. No more crazy early mornings with long, mindless sets. No more unreasonably large meals 12 times a day. No more missing a week of school for a single event. No more tears after bad swims. No more late nights of homework because practice went too late. No more balancing a handful of priorities just to barely scrape by. The list could go on and on. In six months, seniors can finally hit the wall for the very last time and say they did it; they didn’t give up, no matter how many times they wanted to.

Photo Courtesy: Kylene Abraham

As we move forward, some of us can’t wait for it to be over. We’re all excited to some extent, but there comes a point when we realize how much we’re truly leaving behind. We’ve painted a legacy for ourselves full of different memories and friendships. We’ve spent so much time reaching for the goals we set when we were little kids. Following our favorite swimming role models was a fun pastime activity – we knew everything about them because we wanted to be just like them.

Collectively, we can all agree that team trips hold some of our greatest memories. There’s nothing like traveling with your best friends for an entire weekend, doing what you love and laughing the entire way. Whether it be a near or far meet, being able to talk to people who actually understand your complex sport is extremely relaxing. Of course, you enjoy your friends who don’t know everything about swimming; however, swim friends cry along with you when you get DQ’ed after a one-hand touch in the 200 fly at finals. Only your swim family can understand and relate in these situations.

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Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Doing an activity for as long as you have, you tend to get caught up in what it takes to survive a single three-hour practice rather than actually living in the moment. As the senior’s career is coming to an end, you finally begin to see what you’ve actually been given and how lucky you are to have what you do.

The truth is, seniors wouldn’t be where they are today without swimming. Sometimes, we forget that. For those in college, going to a completely different state just to go to school almost seems foreign. We wouldn’t have survived without an automatic family to hold us accountable. Our teammates helped us get to know campus and gave handy tips, tricks and skills that made our freshman year one million times easier.

The team accepted us from the get-go, flaws and all. We believed in them without question. We’re all here for the same reason – because we love something so much that we can’t live without it. Throughout the years, that automatic family becomes our best friends; before we know it, we’ll be in each others’ weddings, celebrating our lives far beyond the pool.

So, where will our lives take us next? What have we learned from swimming that will stick with us forever? It’s up to us to make the most of the experiences we’ve been lucky enough to have. As our year of lasts begins, let’s cherish every moment – hard practices, early mornings, tight suits and all. Because, before we know it, it’ll all be nothing but distant memories.

So, what do you say, seniors? Here’s to our best year yet!

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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