Paige Clarke - (Author)

Reframing Nostalgia - Something Worth Missing  Every February and March, as conference championship season unfolds across the country, I find myself pulled back in time.  This time of year, my computer is working overtime with the number of tabs open. The livestreams are playing, the psych sheets ar...

The Other Side of Championship Season: An Appreciation of Coaches With conference season here and championship season just around the corner, it’s easy to get caught up in the races, the splits, and the excitement. In the middle of all that energy, it is worth pausing to recognize the heroes behind ...

Fear. One simple word, yet one of the most complex and personal emotions we experience. It shows up in obvious ways: Fear of snakes, fear of heights. But for athletes, it often runs much deeper. Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of what comes after the so-called failure, when the results are p...

Advice to My Younger Swimmer Self: Appreciate the Journey And suddenly it was over. Twenty-two years of competitive swimming came to an end within a split second on a random Saturday in March. My hand touched the wall for the last time and my competitive swimming journey ended much faster than it be...

How Pre-Race Nerves Can Be Used to a Swimmer's Advantage My heart would race, my knees would feel weak, and my arms would get heavy… but this was not the start of an Eminem song. This was how my body felt every time I was about to dive into the water. The nerves and jitters that came before a race f...

5 Ways to Ensure Your Body is Rested While Traveling to Your Championship Meet Championship meet season is here! It's the time of year when excitement is high and all your hard work and training are behind you (for now). But traveling to a big meet—whether it’s across the country or just down the ro...

A Letter To My Club Coach  Dear Coach,  I used to think gratitude was something you expressed at the end, after the final practice, after the last meet, after the chapter was closed. But swimming doesn’t really work that way.  Neither does your impact.  You were there long before the success, long b...

Goal Setting for Age-Group Swimmers in the New Year  The first practice of the New Year always feels a little different.  The pool deck maintains the same chlorinated smell. The water is just as freezing. The beep from the clock on the wall still seems louder than it should. But something about Janu...

Which Mile Are You Swimming? The Many Ways Distance Swimmers Count a Mile “50, 100, 150, 200… wait, was that the 200 or the 250?”  Whether we like to admit it or not, most distance swimmers have been there. You’re in the middle of racing a mile when your mind suddenly goes blank, and you silently th...

Staying Motivated Through Holiday Training  The holidays are a time filled with warmth, festivities, and celebration. But if you are a swimmer, December and the holidays also come with something else: Holiday training. This time consists of long practices, tired muscles, early alarms, and a heavy st...

Why We’re Thankful for Swimming  As Thanksgiving rolls around, swimmers, families and coaches across the country naturally find themselves thinking about what they are thankful for. Between the early mornings, the long meets, and the endless hours spent around the water, the sport has a way of shapi...

The Power of a Positive Mindset: How Your Thoughts Can Change Your Swimming  You can train harder than anyone else in the pool, but if you don’t believe in yourself, it’s tough to reach your full potential. The truth is, your mindset matters just as much as your physical strength. What you tell your...

Simple Habits to Keep You in the Pool and Out of the Doctor’s Office During Cold and Flu Season Cold and flu season always seems to show up right when you are training your hardest. Between long school days, early practices, and busy weekends, your body is working overtime. Add in colder weather, po...

The Moment I Almost Quit I can still remember the exact moment I thought I was done with swimming.  It was the middle of a grueling practice, the kind where every set feels endless and your arms feel like they’re dragging cement through the water. I was staring at the black line on the bottom of the...

What Your Favorite Piece of Equipment Says About You  Every swimmer knows the feeling of digging through their mesh bag during practice. The fins are wedged under the paddles, the snorkel is somehow twisted into the straps of the mesh bag, and the pull buoy is always missing when you need it most. S...

Making the Jump: Tips for Student-Athletes Entering College  Starting college can be an overwhelming change. Starting college as a student-athlete can be even more overwhelming. As a freshman swimmer, you are about to juggle harder practices, tougher competition, and a brand-new lifestyle. It can fe...

A Letter to My Parents: From a Retired Swimmer  For some reason, a simple “thank you” does not encompass all of the gratitude that you deserve. When I was a young athlete, I did not see all of the sacrifices you made. I did not notice the early mornings you endured, the weekends you gave up, or the ...

Why Open Water Swimming Deserves More Attention in the U.S.  At the break of dawn, a group of swimmers step into a quiet lake, scanning the open horizon. There are no lane lines, no black lines on the bottom of the pool. Simply the water, wind, and the unknown. This is open water swimming. It is raw...

Commentary: They’re More Than Their Times - Supporting Team USA with Compassion With the pool competition at the 2025 World Championships about to begin, swimmers from around the globe are preparing to represent their countries on one of the biggest stages in our sport. We’ll be watching from home, ...

You Are Not Behind: Your Progress Is Right on Time  In swimming, it’s easy to look around and feel like everyone is moving faster than you. A teammate drops five seconds in their best event. Someone your age qualifies for a meet you’ve been chasing. You show up to every practice and work hard, but y...