A Day in the Life: Chloe Sutton

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 20. SHORTLY after finishing the 10K open water competition at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, 14-year-old Chloe Sutton reflected on her tough day of swimming.

After a Cinderella year in open water swimming where Chloe typically came out on top, or near enough, she ran into exactly how rough-and-tumble the sport can get during the 10K event in Australia. When all was said and done, Chloe finished 28th with a time of 2:15:00.00.

We are sure, though, that Chloe will take this experience and grow from it. Barely in her teen years, Chloe still has plenty of time to develop into a veteran of the sport.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007
I woke up ready to swim. I ate breakfast but I couldn't wait to get to the beach. I knew I wasn't going to swim until noon, but I wanted to watch the sunrise. It was the perfect way to relax. I was ready to warm up at about 11:00, and I felt great. The Jellyfish were there but I knew I could handle them. Little did I know it wasn't the Jellyfish I had to worry about.

When I dove in, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I still felt a bit like a rookie but I was confident. Moving into the first turn, I was in perfect position. I moved close to someone I felt would be good to swim with and suddenly she was continually hitting me in the face. I was shocked and tried to move away but not before my goggles flew off into the waves. I was blinded, and with all of the Jellyfish, I knew I couldn't swim without my goggles. I stopped dead in the water and looked for my goggles. I looked and looked for minutes. I asked the lifeguards for help, but they tried to pull me out.

Finally, someone threw me a pair from a boat. It had been five minutes and I was alone. As I sprinted to catch the pack, I was alone and the Jellies were still in the water, unlike when the pack moves them. I was stung over and over again. I now count seven stings that are burning my face and arms. I caught up to many other swimmers but in the end I knew I had failed.

Each swim, I think especially the bad ones, is a learning experience. The strategic curve that I am experiencing in open water is really huge. Can I win a race without hurting people? Can I develop the speed and endurance to stay away from the scratching, kicking, hitting and arms?

In the end, I am sure that the sun always comes out after a storm. The hard times make the good times even better. Somehow, this experience will make me a better swimmer. You have to be tough to do open water. Maybe this is how you get tough.

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