Personal Narrative: Synchronized Swimming

Growing up, I was never athletically inclined. I was a disaster at any sport that required hand-eye coordination, and running made me want to rip my lungs out of my chest. However, when I was nine, my girl scout troop participated in another try-it day. This time it was for synchronized swimming. The girls on the team knoxed our hair, did our makeup, helped us decorate suits, and taught us our very own routine. I was a mess with bad hair and crooked goggles, nearly drowning the entire time, but I was in love. I had never felt so free as I did in the water, and dreamed of being as elegant and artistic as the swimmers were. So I took official swimming lessons and joined the team when I was ten. For the next six years, synchro would dictate my life. With long practices an hour away four days a week, I didn’t have time for other activities. However, I was fine with that because I loved the pool. My team was my one constant in life, and I could always rely on them, no matter how my life changed. I grew as a swimmer and a person. I went from barely being able to keep my head afloat to being able to tread water for over an hour. I became stronger, more flexible, and happier in my own body. I learned to be confident in my own abilities as well as the people around me. Outside of athletic skills, synchro taught me a lot about life. I learned how to be social with complete strangers, how to act fearless even if I was

It was a long and tiresome process. I had fallen out of love with the sport, and just the idea of practice filled me with dread. However, I was terrified of leaving my teammates and breaking the bonds I had so carefully forged. In the end, the deciding factor was school. I was tired of high school passing me by. I wanted to join clubs, hang out with friends, and get involved in the local community. I would always remember my time in synchro fondly, but I was ready for something