The first day of tryouts for the swim team in my freshman year just might be one of the most terrifying moments for me. Standing at the edge of the pool, I’d never felt a more gripping mix of despair and fear. I questioned my sanity in even trying out -- I had started swimming late, so I was the slow outsider that didn't know anyone.
By the end of my freshman season of swimming, I promised myself I wouldn't give up. Flash foward a couple of years!
My high school swim team only practices in the spring, so I keep in shape by participating in DACA’s year-round swim program. Committing to practice is a small battle in itself every day -- especially in the fall and winter, with biting cold and early sunsets. The upside is that no matter how cold it is that day or how tiring practice was, I am both exhausted and invigorated when I get out of the pool. I just can’t get that feeling anywhere else.