Swimming to success

By: Adam M., New Jersey

I first started swimming because my older brothers swam but then realized I was a decent swimmer myself. I loved being in the water and I loved being with my friends. As I got a little older, I had coaches who believed in me. They showed me that hard work pays off and pushed me to be my best.

As got a little taste of success, I wanted more and dedicated myself to the sport. From there, I learned so many amazing life lessons; hard work, dedication, leadership, and resiliency. I swam from when I was five years old all the way through college while being a captain in both high school and at James Madison University. Because of my hard work and discipline in the pool, I was successful out of the pool. Swimming is the reason I got my first job out of college and it is the reason why I am still successful in that field today. My hard work has paid off in every aspect of my life. And swimming also introduced me to my wife!

My kids now have a massive love of the pool with my oldest already on our summer swim team. He is learning about hard work but, more importantly, having a ton of fun while doing it. Our first daughter will be right behind him this summer. I have so many amazing and fond memories of the pool with my family and friends throughout my life. The nostalgia is heavy in the best way possible! We can't live without the pool.