From the Perspective of a Former Student-Athlete: Former Scot Swimmer has Message for Seniors, Everyone, Affected by COVID-19
Monmouth, IL (04/08/2020) — The world is currently being shaken by something completely unprecedented. I remember hearing about COVID-19 months ago and thinking, "This is just another illness being blown out of proportion." Boy, was I wrong.
It's pretty safe to say that COVID-19 is affecting every single person in this country, hell, even this planet. People losing jobs, not being able to make rent, feed their families, or keep their businesses afloat. I am lucky and so grateful to still be employed and working safely from the comfort of my own home.
But that doesn't mean I'm not affected. From 2013 to 2017 I was a swimmer for the Fighting Scots. It engulfed my life. For four years I dedicated my days to a sport and to my school. I gave up countless hours of sleep for early morning practices and sacrificed weekends to compete.
After a couple years, I hopped back in the pool. Immediately I remembered why I fell in love with the sport. Anything I was dealing with didn't matter when I was in the water.
In January 2020, after much deliberation, I signed up for an adult swimming league and registered for my first meet in two years. I ended up swimming just as fast as I had been in my prime. Maybe it was a fluke? I needed to prove to myself it wasn't just luck. In February, I swam at my second meet with the same result. I qualified for nationals in two events, and I was supposed to swim at state championships in March. Obviously that didn't happen.
I remember when I first read that the NBA would be postponing the season indefinitely. What happened next was like watching a row of dominoes collapse onto itself. Soon more sports followed suit. The NCAA canceled their national championships, including March Madness. This all happened one week before my meet, and panic started to set in.
Two days before the meet, I received an email from the meet director that they would be postponing the meet. Was I surprised? No. But I was floored. All that hard work had built up to this weekend. It was just within my grasp and I felt like the car I was riding in had just slammed on the brakes. I'm currently writing this under quarantine and I haven't been able to get into a pool in over a month.
But I stayed resilient and bounced back. At-home workouts and going on runs have kept my strength and conditioning in check. Sure, it doesn't beat hitting the gym and swimming a couple thousand yards, but when we get the green light to step outside, I'll be ready to get back at it.
I can't even fathom the hurt and shock that current spring sport athletes are going through right now. Seniors won't get that final chance to qualify for nationals, to become conference champion, or that last shot at a school record.
But trust me when I say, you can bounce back. The reason I tell you my story is to let you know that it's not the end of the road if you don't let it be. After my final college season, I thought my career was over. And now (before the quarantine at least), I felt like a new door had opened.
What's happening in the world is terrifying, but it's not the end. Stay home, stay safe, and we'll be back to normal before we know it.
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