Beep! I jumped in and began to swim as fast as I could not knowing what was happening around me. This was my first high school meet and I had to do good. I began swimming at the age of 11 after I quit gymnastics due to broken fingers. I know, I know Broken fingers are not a bad injury but gymnastics had been boring to me as I watched the coach's daughter hang out with her mom and get help as I sat on a mat stretching. I hated it. I sat there doing nothing, missing out on family stuff. One day I got the courage to ask my mom if I could quit. She got mad and said I had to do another sport then as I had quit 3 other sports cheer, dance and soccer. 

I had done dance for 7 years and when I told my mom I wanted to quit I thought she had a heart attack. She went through options of what I could do and listed boring things she got down to the last few options and said Swim. Swimming could not be that bad. I do it all the time. It sounds fun, I thought to myself. I told her I would do it thinking that meant I just got to play in the pool and then swim laps. I knew swimming had more to it but I thought it would not be difficult. She signed me up and a month later I was walking into the Grandville middle school. There were older girls swimming in the pool and as I watched them I saw them flipping off the wall and swimming weirdly like a flying fish. I later learned that that was called butterfly and the flips they were practicing were touch turns and flip turns.By the time they had left my eyes were already watering. I tried out and made it. All they had me do was swim on my back and front then said I could join. 

The first day of practice rolled around and I had been stressing the whole day. I got to middle school and changed. I walked out on the pool deck 20 minutes early and sat waiting. My mom had swam with the coach in highschool so she came to say hi. Within 10 minutes of waiting a lot of older girls had come out and began to hang out and talk with each other. I sat there quietly observing as they gathered their things and began to swim. The coach said to warm up so I hopped in the lane with kids who had never swam and began to swim. 

He then said we were going to do time trials. I had no idea of what they were talking about as the older girls began to line up on the wall and get ready. I listened as he explained it and I did not understand what he was talking about. My eyes began to water and a older girl came up to me and asked what was wrong I said ¨I don't even know what this is.¨  She replied with ¨Just swim free when we swim fly and breast.¨ I did as she said and when practice was over we were told our groups. I got white group. White group is for the noobs who don't know how to swim and don't know what they are doing. 

I began to go to practice every day and learn what swimming was about. I wanted to get faster and become a competitive swimmer but this whole time I was a nervous wreck. I began to learn more and more. I then got to enjoy swimming and I made friends. All the girls in my group had quit by the time I got to middle school swimming so I had to join the faster girls. When I joined I would watch how the coaches would teach and When it came around time trials I was as fast as most girls who had been swimming for 5-6 years. I was happy but super nervous. Throughout middle school I stuck with the faster girls and then decided to swim in high school. The first day of high school swim came around. I was terrified. This meant I had to swim with even more girls who were faster than me and knew more than me. We found out our dates of the swim season and we had to start before school started. I cried. I was so overwhelmed about starting swimming with people I had not talked to before. Looking back I can't believe I cried. When the day rolled around I got up early and got dressed.I got in my moms car and we drove to the high school. I met the coach and the team and we talked for a while about season goals and more. We went around showing our favorite parts of swimming and we talked about swimming. We then got in the water and I felt good. After that first practice I knew that this was for me. I began to practice with the team every day as school started up. I had to get used to handling it. Then on my birthday I went to Northview for a swim meet. It was our first invitational as our new team. I was excited as it was my birthday and I could show my new coach what I could do. 

We arrived early Saturday morning by bus and I was so nervous. As we walked into the building the smell of chlorine hit my face. I had never swam in this pool before but I had heard about it. I walked into the locker rooms and changed. Once changed I walked to find the door to the pool which was in a maze of lockers. Once I reached the door I opened it. There were bright lights and a lot of people. I saw over 12 teams there and began to get nervous. My coach began to speak and say our warm up. He told us to get ready and hop in so I grabbed my cap and goggles and jumped in. It sent shivers down my spine but I realized it was not as cold as Grandville so I would be okay. I warmed up as I watched how everyone else was. I would continuously run into the person in front of me as the lane was packed. Once we got out I started to feel even more nervous. We did our starts and then I heard them announce the national anthem was about to start. I ran over to my team and we stood. Once it was over we had a team talk and cheered. As we did the cheer I got excited as the energy was so good and I felt happy to be here. Once we were done we got ready for my events. I started off swimming in a relay and the 50 which I Pr’d in both but nothing crazy happened.

The 100 free was about to start which was my event. I had already swam a few events that day but this one was the most important. This is the one I have to show Matt who I am. I walked up to the block and put my goggles on. I kept taking them off and putting them back on as I waited for the heats before me. Once it got to the heat before mine I had finally figured out a good spot for my goggles to sit. The girl in front of me finished first with a time close to mine and I began to worry. I had entered in my heat with one of the faster times but what if these girls' times are fake. I heard the official blow his whistle and I stepped up. He said take your mark. I grabbed onto the block as hard as I could, holding myself up waiting for the beep. I began to breathe fast as a panic flew through my body within seconds.

Beep! I jumped in and all the fear went away. I began to kick as hard as I could and I could not see anyone around me. Am I in front? I thought to myself. I began to kick faster, getting to the wall I pushed off as fast as I could and saw all the girls behind me. I began to swim even faster, hitting the wall two more times speeding up. On the last 25 I began to speed up more. I knew the girls were far behind me at that point. I took my last breath and sprinted the whole way back. I hit the wall and looked back at the girls. I had gotten a Pr and had won my heart. As soon as the other girl returned I hopped out and ran over to my coach  in excitement he said “Hanna good job, maybe it should be your birthday everyday if you're going to swim like that.” I smiled and went to my mom grabbing the cupcakes to pass out to my team. I was so happy. I had proved my worth and I had shown what I could do. I knew this sport was for me.