Becoming a Marlin

One evening while eating dinner at Texas Roadhouse (our usual on Friday nights so we can see Daddy for an hour while he’s working) Gabby saw Olympic swimmers on the television and said I want to do that.  Michael and I have been wanting Gabby to become less fearful of the water and a stronger swimmer so we immediately agreed that becoming a swimmer was a great idea.  Two weeks later I had all of the information needed and we were signed up for the neighborhood swim team.  Little did I know how intense summer swim team would be!

To be allowed on the team you must be capable of swimming across the entire 25 meter pool, there is no time limit and you are allowed to hold on to the rope as much as you need.  Gabby made it across the pool in about 2 minutes, 20 seconds with a lot of encouragement from the coaches and a lot of holding onto the ropes and taking breaks.  I must add that the evaluation was in April and it was cold, but she never even mentioned the temperature of the water the entire season. Gabby made it across the pool and officially was named a Marlin!

Swimming is intense.  Seriously, it’s a full body workout and it is 6 days a week.  Gabby swam after school each day and loved it. I never heard her complain about going to practice the entire 6 weeks.  Swim is exhausting as a parent.  We have to be to the meets every Saturday by 7:00 a.m. and volunteer (which I think it's great to be involved).  Not only do swim meets begin early, they are an all day event as well.  The kids love it because they swim about 3 minutes the entire day and play with friends and eat snacks/candy the rest of the time while listening to fun music.  Being in swim you are enveloped in the culture and I must admit it's a positive and amazing group of people on Gabby's swim team.

Gabby was nervous each time she swam, but she always gave it 100% and improved her times almost every single time she raced.  During her first meet she had to wait a first time on the block before they allowed the girls to get ready and she jumped off of the block and literally swam 1/3 of the way across the pool before we could get her attention to turn around due to a false start.  We always worry when they make the little ones way too long because it is inevitable that someone is going to false start.  However she swam back and still gave that race her all! I can only imagine the emotions that must have been going through her sweet little head and the exhaustion she must have felt after basically swimming the length of the pool twice.

Improvement Ribbons!

Gabby had a great attitude and tried her best this season and most importantly became a much stronger and confident swimmer with a love of swimming.   When the season began she would cry when she had to put her face in the water.  We paid for a few private lessons to improve her technique of holding her breath and during the last two weeks she really seemed to become a more confident swimmer.  When she was evaluated to tryout for the team she took over two minutes to swim across the pool, but by the last meet she could swim 25 meters in 45 seconds!  Her coaches must have noticed her flourish through the season because to our surprise she was named most improved and awarded with a trophy! We are so very proud of our little Marlin and are looking forward to being on the team again next year.