BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Just keep swimming

By Jimena Supiciche, age 16 | May 1, 2017

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IN THE POOL Jimena Supiciche, a sophomore at Lamar High School, says she has learned a lot from being a competitive swimmer.

I started swimming when I was 7. My mom took me to swim lessons at our community pool, and I loved it. Her intentions weren’t for me to become a competitive swimmer. However, she felt it was important for me to be safe around the water. My parents were supportive when I told them I wanted to become a competitive swimmer, and they even researched teams to find the right one for me. Since then, it has been an emotional and physical journey. Today, swimming has become a major part of my life and helps define who I am. It has made me competitive in and out of the pool, and taught me how to reach my goals individually and as a team.

It’s no secret that swimming has physical rewards. It builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Nearly all of your muscles are used when you swim. You have to know how to make your body do exactly what it needs to do, at exactly the right moment. Swimming can be great for your mental health and well-being. The regular rhythm of your stroke and the concentration on your technique feel like meditation in the water. After a rough day, swimming never fails to make me feel better and put things into perspective.

Serious swimmers develop personal integrity. Having personal integrity means that you not only keep your commitments to others, but more importantly that you keep your commitments to yourself. You must have a desire each day to be better than the day before. Being competitive encourages me to push myself. Without competition, life becomes less challenging and a lot less exciting. It takes guts to be a competitive athlete. You must be dedicated and open to criticism and growth, and you must hold yourself to higher standards.

Swimming has become my way of life. I can’t imagine the person I would be without swimming, and honestly, I don’t want to. The pool has become my second home, my safe haven and my happy place. I am forever grateful to my parents for taking me to those swim lessons when I was 7.

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