“Nothing compares to the sheer exhaustion you feel when swimming a routine. Your arms and legs literally start to go numb from the lack of oxygen going to your muscles and every breath feels like it’s not enough to get you to the end,” describes Katie MacDonald, Vice President of the UCLA Artistic Swim Team.
Yet, like most other female dominated sports such as figure skating or ballet, society snubs and casts aside artistic swimming as “not a real sport.” The baseline strength, athleticism, flexibility and discipline required just to be a member of the team are overshadowed by the addition of costumes, glittery eyeshadow and ballroom style hair. When asked about their sport, UCLA artistic swimmers almost exclusively receive questions about these superficial cosmetic things, rather than the technicalities of their sport and the immense skill it requires. Most people wouldn’t know that a swimmer performs half of their 3-4 minute routine without oxygen, that even grazing the bottom of the pool results in immediate disqualification or that athletes often endure serious injuries. Not to mention, UCLA artistic swimmers practice at 6:00 AM and for a total of over 25 hours a week, on top of all other school and work responsibilities.
Furthermore, the President of the UCLA women’s team, Noela Sueng, laments the lack of mainstream awareness about artistic swimming in general. Without the same funding, publicity or media coverage, she explains how it is impossible to gain recognition or to be taken as seriously as male-dominated sports.
Last year, with only four swimmers (not even enough to compete in the group routine category), UCLA managed to place sixth overall in nationals. This year, the team has more than doubled in size, grown from one to five coaches and the athletes now go head-to-head with schools like Standford and Ohio State, two division-one varsity teams with national titles. And our UCLA women don’t just show up, they are fierce competitors who give everyone a run for their money. This is made even more impressive by the fact that artistic swimming is not yet categorized as a varsity sport at UCLA, something the team is fighting to change in the coming year.
Overall, artistic swimming falls into its own niche category which lacks awareness from the public, contributing to the uphill battle towards equal recognition and resources for its athletes. The general absence of knowledge about the sport, paired with the male-centric priorities dominating the athletic world as a whole, produces a great divide. But the tenacious women of UCLA artistic swimming continue to defy these odds, their camaraderie only growing through the adversity. By promoting a better understanding and appreciation for artistic swimming, the team hopes to tackle the discrepancies between men’s and women’s sports.