In 2015 I gave up swimming to drugs. I quit right before my senior year of high school because I was trying to balance a rigorous swimming schedule, school, and I chose my Xanax addiction over anything else. I was so good, so fast, so talented, but I quit and went down a terrible path.
10 years later and my first meet is a month from now. I joined a masters team this past fall and fell back in love with it. I finally remembered why I fell in love with the sport and put my heart and soul into it way back when. I swim 2-3x a week and am finally learning how to do backstroke properly at age 27.
Nobody ever thought I’d be in the pool again, but here I am and I feel incredible. It’s never too late to come back to the water whether it’s 5 years or 55 years, it will always be there for you :female_sign:
I’m so proud of you!!! I’m so inspired by your re-discovery and love for swimming. If you can keep going, I can too! I have never had a lesson or been on a team (I’m a 72 year old overweight old lady). I can’t even breathe properly during the freestyle. Somehow though, out of curiosity, I made my way over to lap pool at our Rec Center after water aerobics, jumped in and did a version of a breaststroke. My mind emptied and before I knew it I had swum 10 laps. I’m old, overweight and awkward. But I discovered after swimming real hunger for the first time in many many years. I went home and inhaled 3 scrambled eggs! I’m up to 15 laps every other day. Again you’re my inspiration young man. I wish you much happiness in your sobriety and swimming!
I’m 65M, picked up swimming last year when I quit drinking. Now I’m swimming 60-90 minutes most every day. It feels so great and such euphoria during/after. The feeling reminds of my long distance running days when I was younger. This is an important part of my recovery from alcoholism.
Welcome back! DO NOT COMPARE YOUR TIMES! I only say this to help keep you in the water. If you are curious and ask the people in your heat what their times were when they were 15 you will find similarities. I swim roughly 10-20% slower than my best at 17.
Going through a similar process atm, stopped swimming at 15 due to a relationship and numerous other bad influences. I was consistently medaling at a state and regional level. I had the height, work ethic etc, just those influences fucked me. Gave up.
5 years on and right now I’m getting back into it. Surprisingly I’m faster than I was before, endurance is completely not there though lol. I’m loving it though. During those 5 years I always told myself it was too late, but I’ve realised now it’s just not. I’ve still got it too man.
All the best for your meet and for the goals you want to hit mate! Give em hell
Keep it up swimming is good for me personally swimming is my drug even when I’m injured I’m still swimming something about water that is attached to me.
I kinda did the same, my coach praised me a lot, he talked about he almost could make it as a football player, but he got into drinking beers and f’ing around, he warned me of it, but I do not listen, but that’s nice that you did that.
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