Nine Things Parents of Distance Swimmers Know

As the parent of distance swimmers, my days at meets are decidedly different from parents of sprinters. I’ll admit that I look at them with a touch of envy as they cheer for a 50 or 100. They may experience the same anxiety I do during races, but for them it’s over so quickly! They have mere seconds to watch, while I stress and cheer for more than 16 minutes.

Here are nine things that parents of distance swimmers understand and do: