In the intense world of athletics, it is sometimes challenging to see past personal bests and competition. Swimmers focus on big and exciting goals. Every practice, every early morning, and every away meet contribute to achieving these big goals. However, these goals are not always accomplished, which can lead us to question everything.

We all know this feeling. That stomach-twisting, eye-welling feeling that lingers within us for longer than we would like. Sometimes it seems hard to push it away and find a silver lining. Thus, it is helpful to think of swimming as more than just times and titles. What is swimming teaching us beyond results? How can the life skills we learn through this sport ultimately help us, both in the pool and beyond the pool?