“Swimmers take your mark… Bang!” the official announced as I dove in as quick as a lightning bolt. My shaved legs and arms sliced through the water and, quickly, I began my body-dolphin and slingshotted past my opponents, except one. The feeling I had made me feel invincible. Unfortunately, this opponent was ranked first in the 200 freestyle and wasn’t going to be an easy battle to overcome, but I planned to exterminate that record. We both pulled up with amazing strength and the first 50 of the 200 meter swim was under way.
Our kicks bursted the water and created a wave of water behind us, my pull felt as if I had webbed hands, and my heart was racing at a million miles per hour. I took my first breath to my right and saw the number one ranked swimmer next to me.
I thought to myself, “I am going to have to go out at about 95% my first two laps, then my 3rd lap I’m going to press the envelope, and my last lap I’m going to go all or nothing; bring it home.”
I began to activate my plan. I made sure that I wasn’t going out to fast, but I wasn’t holding back to much. I looked straight down at the pool and breathed to my left and right every three strokes to make sure I kept my stroke balanced and to watch my true opponent. He flipped turn next to me and we both flew off the wall, eyeing each other. Again, our body-dolphin made us slingshot through the water and we exploded up with a wave of adrenaline.
“This… is starting… to hurt! Am I taking this out too fast?” I thought to myself as I began swimming my second lap.
I breathed to my left and glimpsed at my opponent who also glimpsed at me. His eyes seeked determination to still be the champion, but what he didn’t know was that he was the prey and I was the predator. I started to pick up the pace as we were reaching the wall and we were neck and neck. Flip turning into the halfway mark, I began to feel the pain creeping up on me like a lion seeking its prey. My body dolphin didn’t slingshot me like my competition did and I fell half a body length behind.
At this point, I thought, “This is it. It’s over. I lost.”
I breathed to my right and a spark of light came over me as I saw my coach screaming, “GO!”
“He still had determination that I could win this,” I thought, “I can do this!”
Despite the excruciating pain in my arms and legs, I opened the envelope and started to kick like a motor boat engine. Slowly, I caught up to him and the wall was upon us. We flipped turned with speed and flew off the wall. The last lap was underway.
The pain was unbearable, my arms felt like they were ton weights slamming against the water and my legs felt like jelly, but I realized that’s what practice is all about. To get use to the pain and be able to overcome it to become successful.
I changed my breathing pattern to strictly watch him. We were both breaking from the agonizing pain, but now was the time where I broke his heart and took the lead. With everything I had, I pulled deeper and kicked harder. Only 20 meters left. He catched my move and swam along with me. Ten meters left. I held my breath for the final strokes. Five meters left. This is where most swims are decided. Thud! I hit the wall and stared at the placement and I won by .01 seconds! I overcame pain and won!