The Swim Competition

694 Words2 Pages

I dip my toes in—feels cold. My nerves rise up and spread like fire throughout my body while I watch—while I wait. Stomach hurts. All those butterflies clash and crowd. They come every time that I race—it never fails. There is so much noise—the splash of water, talking, yelling, whistling, cheering.

Can’t think. My body shakes and screams from the tension. Heart pounding, nerves tingling, every muscle contracted. Stop. Focus. Deep breath and close everything out. I shut my eyes and the turbulent world in which I am submerged goes black and silent. Coach says visualize the race. Visualize your ideal race. I visualize….

The one hundred fly—it is my mountain. This mountain is rocky, snowy, and steep, and that is why I love it. These ugly obstacles are exactly what make my mountain beautiful; the challenge and the difficulty of the climb make the ascent itself even more appealing. Over the speaker, the starter says dryly, “Heat four step up.” One foot at a time, I step onto the coarse block. Feels like sandpaper. Hope I don’t slip. I take my stance. Both feet on the edge, toes cu...

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