If there is one activity I’ve always been passionate about, it has to be sports. My sister and I always tried out different sports together. One month it was tennis, the next month it was soccer. It was as if we were in our own version of the Olympics with the amount of sports we tried.
Now, why exactly did I switch from sport to sport? Great question. It was because 1) I’m clumsy and I fall more than humpty dumpty and 2) I have asthma. Both of these factors made particular sports harder, and I couldn’t keep up with my other friends. But, just because I couldn’t master one sport, I never wanted to stop trying others.
The one sport I had always been good at was surprisingly swimming. My mom enrolled my sister and I around the age of 4 and we had gone from one lesson to another. In all honesty, you could call me the Michael Phelps of swim lessons for 8 year olds, because after I completed my last class my instructor told us to try the local swim team.
And that was the moment that started my love–and kind of hate lol– for swimming. I met some of my closest friends on the swim team, became a well rounded swimmer, and even had the opportunity to compete with my high school at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming and Diving competition during sophomore and junior year.
Outside of those advantages, swimming improved my health too. Over time, swimming subconsciously trained me to slow down my asthma attacks. Pacing myself in the water was a fun way of learning how to breathe better.
Even my doctors said my asthma was getting better! I was so happy, mostly because I could now run with the other kids without feeling a possible attack. The more my asthma condition decreased, the better off I was in every other aspect of my childhood. I even attempted to run track (which didn’t work out).
Another plus of swimming is that it was nearly impossible to injure myself. My mom really loved that because she was tired of me rolling my ankle in basketball (lol). As long as the lanes weren’t crowded, it was like I was the only person in the pool.
Looking back, I now realize that swimming had me in the best shape I have ever been in. It’s one of the rare sports that forces you to use every muscle at the same time, no matter how fast or slow you’re going. Sure, waking up the next morning after a long practice wasn’t pleasant, but I sure did look cute in my summer outfits!
So for all my friends who may be clumsy, slightly asthmatic, or looking for a well rounded workout, swimming is the way to go. It’s an important life skill for everyone, it’s fun to do, and other than the slight hint of chlorine on your skin after, you’ll feel like a whole new person.