Mark McCluskey - (Author)

The Gift of Being an Athlete: How It Inspires Growth in Yourself and Others By Mariana de Paula You wake up early and practice. You grab your backpack and follow the same old schedule, wondering what today will bring. A different practice, a new challenge. You follow it as if there was nothing more ...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World Intern Swimming is one of the only sports where all of its members have started at a very young age. Naturally, after a decade or so, when it’s finally time to stop, the excitement takes over. But don’t kid yourself just yet. As it turns out, there is only one thi...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern Volunteers are people who are willing to use their times to help others without any form of remuneration. They are the unknown heroes. Their rewards are nothing but to watch the consequences of their efforts unfold. In swimming, volunteers are alway...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern It is the end of February, the peak of college swimming season. By now, many great swims have been swum, and there are many more to come. But those who are done with their season are facing the start of a new time: that inevitable break after champi...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern I’m passionate about writing other people’s stories. I've found that other people's journeys makes me understand a lot more about my own. Thus, I believe it’s my turn to share how I became consumed by this sport. Somehow swimming uprooted me to anot...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern Imagine waking up in over 30 different countries, checking in at over 200 different hotels, and swimming in more than 200 different waters – all in less than 20 years. That is the life of Theresa Michalak, a German swimmer who left her family and he...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in children. According to a report made by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in 2000, there were over 1,400 deaths due to drowning in ages zero to 20 in the U.S. alone. Over 91 percent of all t...

By Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern With the arrival of early signing day, the big question remains: What to consider when making such a huge decision? For those who have not yet made your choice, there are a lot of aspects to look into that can be helpful. This decision shouldn't be ...

by Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern To the best thing I’ve ever done, This November, I am thankful for everything I had the opportunity to learn in life. I'm especially thankful for the sport that took me across the globe and let me live my dreams. The one sport which requires obsessi...

By Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern Swimternational is a bi-weekly column focused on the life of international college swimmers. People who chose to leave their countries and family behind so they could chase their dreams. Athletes that went through social, cultural and language barri...

By Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern Volunteering in college is often not the exhausted student-athlete's priority, but there are quite a few reasons to consider giving some of that precious free time away. Student-athletes need to fulfill needs, pay the bills and still manage to enjoy...

By Mariana de Paula, Swimming World College Intern It is almost time! As of today, there are only 316 days left until we kick off the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And as the date gets closer, the athletic world can follow precisely each step of the building process. The big s...