You are in a space full of people. Of all shapes and sizes. Your body is covered in only a tight second skin. Revealing your most harbored and beautiful secret: your body. Every inch is on display for their judgement. You can't hide anything. Not your body, not your personality: nothing. Now you're put in water and forced to push yourself through wall after wall of limitations until you break down. Every scream of frustration, every exhausted cry and whimper, every angry outburst on display for all of their ears and eyes. All in front of the people. Now imagine watching them doing the same thing. Over and over, until it becomes normal.
Swimming is a passion of mine. It has been for a long time. I can set claims that it is one of the most strenuous and extreme sport out there. Most of you would argue that point, but none of non swimmers truly understand the other side of swimming. The deep and testing social stress it takes on every swimmer young or old.
In swimming, you are only covered in a skin tight suit. There are no padded bras to give you the breasts you want them to see. There are no shirts to cover large bellies. No pants to shape your legs. Makeup washes off, so You can't hide behind it.
Swimming is the only sport that people see your true self, and it can tear you apart. The laws of social status and what is right and wrong have no hold here. We cannot hide behind hip clothes and jewelry and pretend to be queens. We are forced to be ourselves, and to be completed honest, it is the scariest experience you will ever have, yet we put ourselves through this every single time we step into the pool.
How many people have you shown your true self to. Every bump, curve, scar, blemish, every emotion, and every limitation?
YOU ARE READING
No Defense
Short StoryA sport with no disguises and no ability to keep secrets. A deep look into the darker truths of competitive swimming.
