By Spindrift Beck, Swimming World Contributor
I’ve never seen any stats on the matter, but I’d be willing to bet that the majority of folks who spent their formative years as competitive swimmers don’t return to the water in adulthood. As a former collegiate swimmer myself, I’ve watched old teammates go on to incredible feats out of the pool – academic, professional, even other athletic endeavors. But, rarely do they decide to continue swimming, even for fun.
Why is it that we, as competitive swimmers, tend to reject the idea of evolving into Masters swimmers, post-career? Is it because we’ve spent so many years training in the water that we don’t even really equate swimming with exercise anymore? Is it because we live in the United States of Pinterest where the “30 Minute Ab Killer!†sets that beckon us from beyond our Mac screens seem a million times more appealing than hopping in an icy pool and staring at a black line for an hour? Or is it because it seems kind of, in comparison to our former careers… anticlimactic? I mean, let’s face it: it’s hard to imagine Michael Phelps lighting up the USMS National scene in his 50s.
Post retirement, something about the idea of swimming Masters can feel, on some level, like an admittance of defeat; like getting back with an ex after a breakup, only to find yourself back in an all-too-familiar cycle of disappointment. Like it or not, a stigma frequently exists in the minds of post-competitive swimmers when it comes to Masters swimming, and I think, more than anything, there’s a fear of the judgment that comes with continuing to swim past one’s “real†career. Oh, this person just can’t seem to let go, can’t seem to move on. Poor thing. She just misses it so much.
View full post on swimmingworldmagazine
Contact Swim.ae for swimming lessons in Dubai.
______________________________________________________________
Whatsapp number: +971 56 583 0067 (when sending whatsapp message pls mention code Swim5505)
Contact us : Fill in the form and we will get back to you asap.
Contact Trainer
______________________________________________________________
Swim.ae does all the relevant checks for you. All swimming instructors from swim.ae have the right visa and are fully qualified to train you.
Get in touch with us today, Private Swimming lessons are available in all parts of UAE.