There is a delicate balance between the mind and the body. There cannot be one without the other. When you are standing behind the blocks-tense and ready to go-your mind is your most powerful tool. It can either help you prevail or sink you into a bottomless pit of fear and anxiety. As a swimmer, you must know how to control it. Some say swimming is not a sport, however, it is the hardest sport of all. You are alone, water rushing past you as you swim. Silence overwhelms you. It is very easy to give up in situations like this, however, swimmers strengthen their minds to last, and fight through it.
As a distance swimmer, in a race, you will most likely experience every emotion you know. When swimming a mile, off the blocks, you feel anxious; however, the moment you hit the water, calmness takes control. You feel confident and prepared. As the race goes on, you start to feel anxious and tired. Your body aches, your muscles are sore, and you begin to feel angry. That anger makes you want to scream, however, that is when you think of the hours of training, the sweat, the pain, and you push: you push hard, and you don't stop—one wall at a time, you keep going. That last 50, you feel a rush of joy, and happiness, you put everything you have left and finish. There is no other feeling in the world compared to finishing a hard race and accomplishing your goals. That is the power of the mind. It allows you to push boundaries you could have never imagined before. That is its beauty, and that is why swimmers are strong-minded athletes. When swimming, you cannot let your mind wander and fear loosing. You must focus, remember the hours of training, remember the pain, and use that, use that strength to push through and finish.