Sovereign Brown, Staff Writer

As I sat playing with the sand, I saw so many people having fun in the water. Going inside the ocean used to frighten me as a little girl. One day this all changed. Instead of being frightened by the water, I instead never wanted to leave it. I recall my mom having to pick me up after I had thrown a temper tantrum because I had to leave my new found love–the water. Little did I know that this experience was going to turn me into not only a swimmer but shape me into the person I am today.

From a young age, the pool has always been a comfortable environment for me, and looking back, I still feel the same way. I started competitive swimming at the age of 12. Although I was not familiar with the competitive world of swimming, I continued to do meets and in return saw improvements. I lost a year of competitive swimming due to the COVID-19 pandemic and did not get back into competing until my sophomore year. 

My sophomore year everything changed. I lost my cousin who I honestly called my sister and who I was close to. My world crumbled apart, and I no longer had the motivation to swim. I started falling behind, and I would purposely not put all of my effort into practice and meets. I did not get a wake-up call until my coach spoke to me and told me to get it together. Deep down, I knew I could not stop my world because of how much I was grieving. I was passionate about swimming, and although my cousin’s death affected me profoundly, I did what I knew how to do: keep going. 

Whatever tears I needed to cry, I cried along the way, but more importantly, I picked myself up and I did not quit. Being a swimmer has changed my life for the better. It has given me confidence that I lacked, to not only be able to stand up for myself, but to carry myself with respect. Swimming has shown me how strong I truly am and has helped me realize that whenever I am confronted with something difficult, I can conquer it. It has also shown me how determined I am when I set my mind towards something, and most importantly, how I do not give up. Swimming has made me into the person I am today, and who I am today is not who I was three years ago. 

I am confident, outgoing and an incredibly determined woman. Because of my passion for swimming and its deeply profound impact on my life, I knew I wanted to help others have the same skills that I have. For that reason, I decided to become a swim coach. My goal in becoming a coach was to help kids develop confidence within themselves, in and out of the water. While I am aware that my life is not always filled with sunshine and rainbows, the personal skills that I have gained from swimming have allowed me to apply them in my everyday life.