Chasing the elusive black line
I trained for over a decade. Here are the three most important life lessons swimming prepared me for…
Once a swimmer, always a swimmer. Swimming is one of those sports that comes into your life and doesn’t seem to ever really leave. Since retiring from the sport almost two decades ago I still find myself back in the pool every few months training. This is usually because I’m nursing a new injury from BJJ or running but if I’m being honest I miss the water and hate to be away too long.
Swimming is not only therapeutic, good for fitness, tones those muscles, alleviates stress and all that other good stuff, it teaches you skills that will stay with you for a lifetime. At the time, as a young teenager, I had no idea what the sport was setting me up for in terms of my adult life and only in later years did I see the incredible benefits. Here I discuss the three important life lessons swimming prepared me for and how the sport has impacted my adult life.
Lesson 1: How to handle winning and losing
Losing is the absolute worst. No one wants to train their ass off, put in all that effort and for what? To come second? I think not. However, losing is an important life skill we all need to learn so we can be prepared for what life throws at us in later years.
Competing in the pool regularly will possibly hand you many wins and a guaranteed bucket load of losses, which is where we learn from our mistakes. It is in these moments our character is truly tested. The best losers learn to turn and acknowledge the winner, walking away knowing they have more work to do. This attitude carries with you for life throughout your chosen career where you will face losses from time to time. It’s not about losing, but how you react in these moments that will define you.
Lesson 2: Leaning into the uncomfortable (aka the pain)
Anyone who has trained as a competitive swimmer will tell you how incredibly grueling it is to chase that elusive black line day and night. Coaches push athletes to their absolute limits and it is in these moments you learn to go beyond pain you never thought capable.
There will come times in your adult life when things can get both physically and mentally painful. Maybe it’s taking on a new sport, dealing with heartbreak, the loss of a loved one, studying for finals or juggling a family. Swimming through your comfort zone teaches you that anything is possible, if you want it bad enough.
Learning to ignore the voices that tell you to slow down, take it easy or give up when that is not an option can change the course of your life when applied to future situations. The best part is that swimming has little injuries, so you can push through that pain till the cows come home knowing you are one step closer to your goals.
Lesson 3: Building a resilient mental attitude that carries throughout your life
The physical doesn’t reside alone. Enter your mental attitude that can be the make or break marker throughout your life. Ever got to a point and thought, ‘yeah this hurts too much, I’m going to backoff’? We have all been there but if you want to win, survive or improve yourself in life you need to push through the discomfort. This is the beauty of swimming in that it teaches you to find that next level if you want to progress in life.
We can all train to be physically fit but without the mental strength to go with it, you aren’t going to succeed. Swimming helps to build a resilient mental attitude to break through your thresholds that surpasses the pain. If you don’t surpass these thresholds you will only ever make small improvements and this attitude will be reflected throughout your future career, life and health. The mental strength to keep going is what separates the average from the great.
After ten years in the pool I didn’t know how to stop moving and have gone on to train in running, muay thai and now Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The lessons learned in the pool have transferred into these other areas of my life including career, social and health. I wouldn’t be who I am today without my coach, team mates and the sport that defined me as a youngster; swimming.
The sport has taught me so much in regards to winning and losing, pushing through the physical pain and building a resilient mental attitude that carries throughout my life. If you are looking for a sport that will help build your physical and mental strength, ease off on the injuries, keep you fit and healthy, plus make some friends along the way; check out your local swim club. It’s never too late to try something new, reset your goals and learn how to overcome your greatest fears. Remember you are not alone, this is a team sport.
