7. Swimming is pretty much a big, open
fraternity where everybody has the
same background of two-a-days and
countless weekends in countless pools
8. This sense of community goes far
beyond the pool, however, and even
years after retiring from competitive
swimming, you’ll still find familiar
faces all over the place
13. Long after you’ve stopped
swimming competitively, you’ll still
enjoy not having to get up at 4:30
AM for practice every morning
14. Nonetheless, the discipline you garnered
through such a strict regimen will serve you
well later in life when you find something
else that you’re passionate about
16. Every time you watch competitive
swimming, “what ifs” inevitably
start to run through your head
17. It’s important to avoid this passing
sense of regret by leaving everything at
the pool, so that you don’t feel yourself
thinking like that again when the
Olympics roll around