Master Swimmer

"I was a swimmer when I was younger, but I developed an eating disorder at the age of 14 that ruined all of my competitive dreams. As I got older and swimming techniques became more refined, I wondered what it would be like to become a Masters swimmer and compete again, but I was still scared. One day, a friend told me she'd become a Masters swimmer and that she was swimming close to her high school times. She looked at least ten years younger than her age, was brimming with vitality, and I was intrigued. So when I heard a Masters program was starting near me, I told the coach I was interested in trying one day a week, but I pulled myself out of the water after the first practice and said, "I'm in." I set a goal of competing again, and did, winning my events at my first meet. The picture here is of me with some of my teammates (I'm on the left) at the University of Maryland on June 19th, 2005. Now I have a goal of competing and placing at Masters Nationals next year at Stanford University! The most important steps in achieving this goal were knowing people who had achieved what I wanted, finding a program that fit my needs, putting a picture in my goals scrapbook about this goal, reading as much as I could about Masters swimmers, and doing it in a supportive community."