To the Conflicted College Swimmer

For all you college swimmers out there, give yourself a pat on the back for sticking with it. It truly is an admirable accomplishment.

To the conflicted college swimmer,

You are not alone. The reality is that nothing can prepare you for college swimming. Club and high school practices may come close in terms of physical work, but being a student-athlete in college can definitely feel like a never-ending ice bath: unpleasant, yet annoyingly helpful.

True swimmers know that the sport is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. Not to mention the emotional rollercoaster we experience whether it be ripping a tech suit 10 minutes prior to a race (did that), or spraining your ankle jumping into a pool at a national meet (did that) or simply getting DQed (yep, did that, too).