An Ode to Swimming

Michael Adamovich is a 22-year-old resident of Elkridge, Maryland. He just graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a B.A. in History. Michael has been involved with the swimming community for over a decade. He started competitive swimming for Columbia Aquatics Association when he was 10, and has now been coaching for them for the last 5 years. 

You are swimmers
No. We are swimmers
We wake up before the sun
One thousand yards, one thousand more,
Then when it’s all done,
It’s time for round 2
We are swimmers
No matter where we roam,
A pool always seems to feel like home
When practice comes, we may whine and complain,
But in the end, through all the hard work and pain, we are glad we came.
We are swimmers
From first years to age old veterans, from 6 to 18, and everyone in between, our crunchy hair and chlorine stained skin connects us.
We are swimmers
Our shoulders are broad and our lungs are powerful.
But above all, in the trying hour, a swimmer stands tall, for our hearts do not falter
We use brains not just brawn
At any hour of the day. From dusk until dawn
Our kick is our thunder
Oh how we roar
Adrenaline pumping. Ready for more.
Coach at the board. What do they have in store?
Through the highs, the lows, the sore muscles, the cramps
Dealing with missing goggles, lost fins, and towels that are forever damp
We sit on the edge, observing our kingdom
Staring down our competition, eyeing our victim
Not leaving the pool, until we’re the winners
And the reason is simple
It’s because we are swimmers

AB