Competition in My Life - Essay Example

My friends and family members who do not take part in this activity have supported me through some of the most memorable swimming competitions that I have been part of. Swimming requires a lot of dedication, hard work and numerous hours of practice (Newsome and Young 45). I know how it feels to be awake on a chilly morning going for endless laps. However, not all this has been in vain, as I have won a few medals, excelled in some races and even lost in others. This essay is a narration of one of the most memorable swimming competitions in my life.

It was an early Thursday morning when all the members of the swim team assembled in the school swimming pool for a warm-up session on the day of the competition. Our coach was enthusiastic and gave us an encouraging speech after the warm-up session (Ramsay 106). I would take part in four swimming events including the 400 free, 200 free relay, 50 free and 100 free. I was under intense pressure to give an outstanding performance, as this was my specialized swimming style. On the other hand, I was nervous, as it was the first race I had taken part in with so many experienced swimmers.

The first race that I took part in was the 50 free and I was in the third lane. The referee instructed all the swimmers to step up and the pool seemed unusually long. The gun went off and the referee shouted ‘GO!’ All the six competitors dove into the water and the water felt so cold that I felt dizzy. The race was faster than I expected and I came out forth. I had hoped for better performance and promised myself to do better in the remaining races (Ramsay 106). When I went back to my team members, they patted me on the back and told me that I had done well as all the other team members had performed worse in other races. To my utter surprise, this was the best time I had ever clocked in this race. I could only hope for improved performance in the remaining races.

The 100-meter race was no different, my opponents seemed taller and stronger, and this intimidated me. However, I did not give up as I could see my teammates, friends and family cheering me on from the bleachers. When the gun went off, I dove into the waters hoping for better performance. This time I emerged third as one of the opponents was did not complete the race. The other race was the 200-meter free and I was in the first lane. I was feeling exhausted from the 100-meter race and came out last. Unfortunately, the 400-meter race ended up as the 200- meter race (Noble and Cregeen 89). I have never felt so dismayed in my life and all the team members were quiet as we walked to the bus. However, our coach encouraged us by telling us that we could do better next time.