﻿{"id":320136,"date":"2018-07-25T07:00:02","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=320136"},"modified":"2018-07-24T20:00:42","modified_gmt":"2018-07-25T03:00:42","slug":"i-swim-because","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/","title":{"rendered":"I Swim Because&#8230;."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Kate Walter, Swimming World Intern.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Why wake up at 4 a.m. to stumble around a dimly lit rec center and take a reluctant plunge into the cold pool? Why put up with the permanently wet hair and stench of chlorine with hopes of shaving off hundreds of a second?<\/p>\n<p>These questions often rattle around in a swimmer&#8217;s brain during painful or boring sets. Sometimes, your relationship with the water resembles that of a self-centered boyfriend or girlfriend who you swore you would never date again. You give and give while receiving very little in return. The question remains: How are there pool fulls of swimmers around the world willing to practice every morning before the sun has even risen? You&#8217;re about to find out.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_320324\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320324\" data-attachment-id=\"320324\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/img_3582\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3582.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1242,1239\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"sunrise-morning-practice\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;sunrise-morning-practice&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Jason Cochran (Instagram)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3582-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3582-1024x1022.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320324\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3582-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"sunrise-morning-practice\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320324\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Instagram, @swimcoachjason<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Why do you swim?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This question suggests an air of simplicity, yet when truly trying to answer it, you may have trouble formulating the appropriate response. What can possibly be the reason behind spending hours in the pool in exchange for just a few minutes of competition? S<i>wimming\u00a0World\u00a0<\/i>asked a few athletes from different teams to anonymously explain why they stay in the sport. Here&#8217;s what they had to say.<\/p>\n<h2>I swim because&#8230;.<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;It&#8217;s such a unique sport that <strong>teaches you discipline<\/strong>, yet still gives you a sense of community. With the intense practices, you learn to rely on coaches and teammates to help you get through the mental obstacles. This helps make the very personal sport, a team sport.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;It&#8217;s <strong>great exercise<\/strong>, and I have tons of fun doing it. I like swimming because if I\u2019m feeling stressed, it takes my mind off of the thing I\u2019m stressed about. I also have lots of great friends which makes it ten times better and more fun.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_320322\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320322\" data-attachment-id=\"320322\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/img_3065\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3065.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"4752,3168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS REBEL T1i&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1436974456&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;32&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swim-friends\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;IMG_3065&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Sarah W.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3065-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3065-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320322\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3065-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"swim-friends\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320322\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Sarah W.<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;I want to push myself everyday to get better. It\u2019s a challenging sport, but my teammates are always there to support me. The bond created by a swim team is like no other, and I\u2019m so glad I met so many<strong> friends<\/strong> through swimming.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&#8220;I\u00a0<\/span>live for the tight bonds you make with your teammates, the <strong>unforgettable memories<\/strong> formed over the years, and of course, the<strong> food<\/strong>. Swimming is tough, but that\u2019s also what makes it exciting for me and millions of other people from all over the world. It\u2019s a sport that has helped me connect with so many amazing people from all across the country. I am eternally grateful that I\u2019m a swimmer.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_320327\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320327\" data-attachment-id=\"320327\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/img_8305\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_8305.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swim-friends\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;swim-friends&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Kate W.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_8305-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_8305-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320327\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_8305-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"swim-friends\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320327\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Kate W.<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;It\u2019s what I love to do. Ever since I was little, I\u2019ve loved the water. Somehow, my mom signing up for beginner lessons has turned into a life-long love and admiration for the sport. And although it\u2019s gotten harder as the years have gone by and I\u2019ve had my doubts, my friends and family are always by my side pushing me through the mental and physical pain. I have always and will always<strong> love the sport<\/strong><strong>. <\/strong>The friends and tight connections I\u2019ve made through it make it even better. And hopefully, with a goal of getting even faster and the motivation from the people in my life, I can take this sport even further.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0&#8220;<\/span>I love competing and having fun. Swim practice is like <strong>a home away from home<\/strong>. Swimmers are such a tight-knit group both in and out of the pool.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Being<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>part of a <strong>community<\/strong> of swimmers who are not only my friends but also my teammates lets me know that someone is always there for me.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_320319\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320319\" data-attachment-id=\"320319\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/img_4109\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_4109.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"4752,3168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS REBEL T1i&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1468671830&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;42&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0015625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swimmers-having-fun\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;swimmers-having-fun&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Sarah W.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_4109-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_4109-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320319\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_4109-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"swimmers-having-fun\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Sarah W.<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Every small victory or accomplishment gives me the push I need to keep working for more. After completing a hard practice, I feel like I can <strong>conquer the world<\/strong> and overcome any obstacles that might come my way.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_320241\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320241\" data-attachment-id=\"320241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/processed-with-vsco-with-m3-preset-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/87B562B0-99AB-4280-B99A-56B296416205.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;HERO+ LCD&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Processed with VSCO with m3 preset&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1501232956&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;2.77&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002963841138115&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Processed with VSCO with m3 preset&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"87B562B0-99AB-4280-B99A-56B296416205\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;swimmers- smiling &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Megan Craven &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/87B562B0-99AB-4280-B99A-56B296416205-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/87B562B0-99AB-4280-B99A-56B296416205.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-320241 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/87B562B0-99AB-4280-B99A-56B296416205-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"swimmers- smiling \" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320241\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Megan Craven<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Each swimmer has a different reason for sticking with the sport. On the days when the only thing that seems consistent in life is the black line on the bottom of the pool, reminding yourself and others of their &#8220;why&#8221; will make even the worst set bearable.<\/p>\n<p>A common thread throughout these responses is the importance of teammates in the sport of swimming &#8211; lane buddies becoming best friends. Without a strong community and support system, practices can turn into a chore and drag on for hours on end.<\/p>\n<p>No matter the motive you have for swimming, it is important to do it for yourself &#8211; no one else. Often, parents force their children to compete, causing burnout and breeding resentment. When you swim out of affection for the sport, the early morning commutes and grueling practices become worth it. Hold on to your &#8220;why&#8221; and don&#8217;t let go. Swim because you love it and for no other reason.<\/p>\n<p>Why do <em>you<\/em> swim?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_320234\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-320234\" data-attachment-id=\"320234\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/img_3400-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3400-1-e1730813657892.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1100,733\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS REBEL T1i&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1531477948&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;75&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"swimming-friends\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;swimming-friends &lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;7\/22&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo Courtesy: Sarah Walter &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3400-1-700x500.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3400-1-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-320234\" src=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/IMG_3400-1-700x500.jpg\" alt=\"swimming-friends \" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-320234\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: Sarah Walter<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Kate Walter, Swimming World Intern.\u00a0 Why wake up at 4 a.m. to stumble around a dimly lit rec center and take a reluctant plunge into the cold pool? Why<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6533,"featured_media":320321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[55615,69543,53556,67753,69565,45709,53287,69544],"class_list":["post-320136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","tag-community","tag-friendships","tag-inspiration","tag-kate-walter","tag-purpose","tag-swimming-motivation","tag-teammates","tag-why-i-swim"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>I Swim Because.... - Swimming World<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why do you swim? Swimming\u00a0World\u00a0asked a few athletes from different teams to anonymously explain why they stay in the sport. They answered I swim because...\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/i-swim-because\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Swim Because....\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why do you swim? Swimming\u00a0World\u00a0asked a few athletes from different teams to anonymously explain why they stay in the sport. 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