My heart to swim competitively burned out when I was seventeen - though I swam another year (my senior year in high school). Then 33 years later I got back in the pool, and like many others, discovered that I had a renewed passion to compete. That seems in some ways strange to me, so I've been thinking about why I compete. I've reached the conclusion that I really wasn't done when I left the pool at eighteen - rather, I just needed a breather. (That was one huge oxygen debt!) I wonder if one day I'll be done competing, or if this passion is a lifelong one, like the passion for fitness and health that my swimming serves regardless of whether or not I compete.
Parents
Former Member
I have always been massively competetive about everything....I have two siblings that are close to my age and so maybe that has something to do with it? I hated to lose when I was just a kid....but now I don't mind losing (even badly) ...I will compete anyway....I recall that while I was in grad school there were many decent chess players in our department (many were foriegn students...so that could explain why) and we had chess tournaments each year for several years before I left....I got my butt kicked SO many times.....but I didn't care b/c I loved competing and eventually I would win or draw on occaission (especially if my opponent had a bad game)....I am that way about a lot of things....Most of it is just competition with myself....to see how far I can improve...Like someone else mentioned in this thread...(I think it was "hooked on swimming"?)....Competition is one of the ways to measure your improvement....to test yourself from time to time.
newmastersswimmer
I have always been massively competetive about everything....I have two siblings that are close to my age and so maybe that has something to do with it? I hated to lose when I was just a kid....but now I don't mind losing (even badly) ...I will compete anyway....I recall that while I was in grad school there were many decent chess players in our department (many were foriegn students...so that could explain why) and we had chess tournaments each year for several years before I left....I got my butt kicked SO many times.....but I didn't care b/c I loved competing and eventually I would win or draw on occaission (especially if my opponent had a bad game)....I am that way about a lot of things....Most of it is just competition with myself....to see how far I can improve...Like someone else mentioned in this thread...(I think it was "hooked on swimming"?)....Competition is one of the ways to measure your improvement....to test yourself from time to time.
newmastersswimmer
