Redemption

This weekend was the Country Club's Ninetieth Anniversary Swimming Competition. In short terms, it is the most important 25m pool competition of the year. 250 swimmers from all over Colombia came. There were people from Cali, Bucaramanga, and many parts of Cundinamarca.

It may have been a very astounding fact, but during this competition I couldn't care less about all this. I was completely concentrated on myself. To me, this competition was a test to see if my good-for-nothing knee would be able to endure the three rounds that made up all the heats. It had been ten days already since my knee had all of the sudden decided to turn into a painful lump extending from my body. I was completely desperate, and during this time, I'd had nightmares of what would happen. The nerves were crushing me as the days rushed by and my knee wasn't getting better. I felt completely betrayed by me knee! I had taken so much care of it since it started whining, and every single day I made my best effort to try and make it comfortable and never have to force it in the very least. I had even spent whole hours with a freezing bag of ice on top of it, and then an insanely hot fever bag over it. During the last training days I never even flexed my leg in any movement similar to breaststroke kick, because I didn't have the courage to see if the stinging would come back.
Finally, Friday came, with all the might of 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle. It wasn't the real challenge yet. Ironically 100m breaststroke (the only breaststroke race in the whole championship) was the last race of the last round. This was more like a test if at least I could get into my race mode, and this would probably take the fear out of my head. I was actually glad with this round. There was a moment when I forgot I had a knee problem, and for that small instance I went back to the old thrilling sensation of competing. That feeling that pushes you to the best of your abilities, and rushes the adrenaline through every inch of your body. It's precisely that feeling that makes the huge effort of competing worth it.

On Saturday morning we had the Inauguration Ceremony. It's a tradition of the Country Club that the flags are taken by a swimmer through the pool as the National Hymn plays. I got to take the Country Club flag! Apart from that, this round we had to swim 100m medley or "combi" and 100m backstroke. I was earnestly surprised, because I suck at backstroke, but I won a bronze medal! (Like my grandmother would say, the other swimmers were just to bad.) Also, in the 100m medley, when I swum breaststroke, my knee didn't hurt a bit! I felt a little relieved, but I still had worry eating at me. After all, those were only 25m. What would 100m do to my knee?

At long last, the third round came, and I couldn't stand the nerves. After 50m freestyle, I realized I was about to face my destiny. Whatever would happen next would decide my future for the rest of my swimming life. I would succeed or I would fail, and that would be the end of it. As I stood in front of the starting platform, I deiced an emergency plan, just in case. If my I couldn't go on, I'd finish the lap and get out fast, before anyone noticed. I realized it was stupid to think that, and decide to just concentrate.

It all ended too fast. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I do remember I suddenly felt a surge of energy pass through my body. I swam as I never had swum before, and it all came so naturally. I turned to the last lap and powerfully swum back, my knee finally cooperating as it is supposed to. I hit the black pad and turned my head. The timer marked 1:27: I had broken my personal record! I felt swollen like a balloon with euphoria. All my worries from the past ten days were gone. It all felt so perfect, and there was nothing that could pop me out of my happiness. I had finally confronted my fear, and came out of it better than I could have possibly imagined.

I am now getting ready to classify for the Mid-term Interleague National, and hope everything can turn out as great as it did this time. All I can say is I feel I have come back to good terms with my knee. It better stay that way!