“swimmertexts”: 15-Year-Old Rallies the Instagram Swim Community

Photo Courtesy: Bryan Gu

By Bryan Gu, Swimming World Intern.

“A place where people can reach out for inspiration, or just get a laugh,” is how 15-year-old Elizabeth “Betsey” Freiburger describes her Instagram account. Her account, “swimmertexts”, recently surged in popularity, reaching almost 14 thousand followers.

Freiburger is a sophomore in high school from Winnetka, Illinois. Although she has not always loved swimming, her current adoration and passion for the sport were palpable within moments of conversation. Amidst the chaos and weariness that comes from the lifestyle she so aptly describes in her account, Freiburger seems self-assured and outgoing. There was a joy in her eyes which conveyed happiness to simply be talking swimming.

Freiburger started swimming at the age of 10, and her first few years were anything but pleasurable. Freiburger explained how her unwillingness to practice left her slow and often lagging behind, which only left her dreading practice more.

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

By the time she was 13, she went to her coach with every intention of quitting. What happened next would change her life.

Claiming to see a passion in Freiburger and a love for the sport, her coach asked that Freiburger stick with swimming for one more year – a year where she would listen to every instruction and commit 100 percent of her effort. “If your times aren’t where you want them to be you can quit, but I see something in you,” her coach assured her.

Within a year’s time, Freiburger had seen large improvement. “I had gone from being the last person in the slowest lane to being the first in the fastest and achieving things that I had never thought possible,” she said. The ultimate culmination of her efforts finally came in her last race of the short course season and her first mile. The best race of her life.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

“I was really nervous before my race, because I had never swum the mile before, and prior to this year I was adamant about never swimming it. But my coach pulled me aside and told me that I could make anything out of that race because I had put in the worked. There was no need to be nervous. So I swam my race, and when I looked up and saw that I had made the states cut, I knew that all the hard work and struggle I had placed into that year had paid off. It was the first time I realized that there was something to be gained from hard work. I have never been happier looking up to see a time.”

That moment proved to be the turning point for Freiburger; it was the moment when she finally fell in love with swimming. Now Freiburger can’t get enough: “It’s a time that I’m allowed to be with my best friends and coaches. I’m able to work hard with them and they push me to be my best. It lets me to escape the normal high school life – to escape into a world of pure swimming where I gain control of my own destiny and my own capabilities.”

Freiburger attributes this love largely to her coach, who continues to lift her up and push her to be her best. Through her Instagram account Freiburger hopes to incite the same passion and offer the same inspiration in her followers.

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

Freiburger first began the account with two simple goals: to connect with an audience and to make people laugh. “I don’t have a high school swim team so I decided to try and connect with people on a social media platform,” she said. “I wanted the opportunity to brighten someone’s day, especially since swimming is such a grueling sport, just being able to inspire was a big driving factor.”

Having begun with a smaller account, Freiburger described the idea of imagined texts as a sudden moment of inspiration. She had found them funny because she had actually received similar texts to the ones she was coming up with, and when she shared these ideas with her friends they seemed to find them funny too.

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

What began as a small account for friends soon began growing beyond Freiburger’s wildest expectations. A hundred followers became 500, and by 1000 followers Freiburger had made a goal to reach 5000– “I figured if 1000 people were willing to follow me, why not 5000?”

She began receiving submissions and large amounts of positive feedback from people well outside her immediate circle. Soon Freiburger began to realize that this account that she had created – this community that was developing – may have the capability to be something more than just another swimming account. As Freiburger explains, “I just wanted to make people laugh, then I saw so many people tagging and sharing, and I realized ‘Wow, I have this connection with all these people.'”

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

Soon Freiburger was receiving more personal messages from her followers. They shared their own experiences, expressed their gratitude, looked for advice, or simply came to tell her how much they loved the account. One particular girl sticks with Freiburger, as she remembers receiving a message from the young German swimmer who was simply expressing her excitement at being in the United States for her first international competition. Despite the usual emotional detachment of social media, Freiburger had managed to create an international community united by experiences.

When asked why this community was so successful and supportive, Freiburger speculates: “I think the swimmer struggle is universal. We all go through slumps, hard sets, and bad races. It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice, but everyone who does it and has gone through it, has come out the other side still loving it. We all love it.”

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

More recently, Freiburger has begun experimenting with a new direction for her account. Freiburger decided to share her thoughts and experiences with her followers – a deviation from the usual humor of the account. A step away from its usual joviality, but a step towards returning the inspiration and passion this sport and all its wonderful people had once given her.

The feedback was astounding. “I got so many positive comments and messages saying how my words helped people,” Freiburger recalled. ” I realized that this could be something more than myself, and after sharing my first inspirational post I realized that me telling my own story could really change someone else’s narrative.”

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

Returning to the present, Freiburger has continued to find a fair deal of success with her account. Most recently, she has received a few advertising deals from various suit companies, although she has turned each of them down. Freiburger has remained steadfast in her sole mission to give back to the swimming community.

“This account is coming from the goodness of my heart and I don’t want to have to represent anyone else,” she said. “I want to be able to control what I post. I was never in this for money – I just want to help people and make them smile.”

Photo Courtesy: Elizabeth Freiburger

Freiburger is sure that she will continue posting texts – regardless of their content, whether it be humor or inspiration – in her mission to bring a little more warmth and companionship to what can often be a cold and lonely pool. Outside of the pool, Freiburger has found that her account has also made an impact, as she finds herself more open and willing to mentor and guide the next generation of swimmers.

When asked, Freiburger wasn’t sure what would be become of her or “swimmertexts” in the farther future. She hopes to be able to swim in college, but whatever happens beyond, Freiburger knows that swimming will always play an important role in her life.

In the spirit of her account, Freiburger closed the interview with words that resonate with all of us who are so privileged as to be members of this fantastic community: “Swimming is near and dear to my heart, and I’m sure that it will always play a role in my life. It is where I come from, who I am, and it will shape who to continue to be. I will always be a swimmer.”

The texts shown above are all from Betsey’s account, swimmertexts.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use