What makes us get up at five a.m. in the morning to go to practice when we can stay in a warm and cozy bed? Are we afraid of getting yelled at from the coach or are we just that kind of person that is determined and want to achieve the goals we once sat up? Why do we practice multiple times a day, every day of the week to swim for maybe only 50 seconds in a meet? I would say it is the dedication to the sport, and because you build up a relationship with your team mates that is unbreakable. You all have your own personal goals and together it is easier to fulfill them when your team is encouraging you. Why do we spend up to thirty hours a week on swimming, weightlifting and dry land when we usually only have two to four big meets a year? I personally do not enjoy getting up early several times a week to jump into the cold water, but I have my goals, and to reach those goals I have to do everything as perfect as I can. And when you are at that big meet, and you swim a really good race, you can look back at all the hard work you have put down and be satisfied with yourself. To perform your best at the most important race in your life is indescribable.

What do we get for going the best time of our lives? If you are lucky you could get a nice trophy. There are only a few people in the world that can live off of their earnings from winning races, and the most famous one is, of course, Michael Phelps. All the other swimmers do not get a lot out of it, except the thrill to compete. Why is it like this? As I said before, swimming cannot really compare to the big American sports like football, basketball and baseball in terms of popularity.