It was the day of my 100m Breastroke. I also compete the 200m Freestyle but the breastroke is my favourite and perhaps my best. Since the warm up pool had around 50 or so people in it and I had finished all the warming up I needed to do, I decided to wait in the call room considering my heat was 2 races away.
"Alison Michaels." called out one of the commentators. I walked onto the blocks, looking as cool as a cucumber but that honestly the opposite of how I felt. My head was somewhere else. I couldn't think straight. 'No, no ,no' I thought to myself. Not now, not me. I took off my team tracksuit. I looked around the arena. I saw my mum, dad, sister and cousin. They all had tears in their eyes and hope in their heart. The last person to be called out was a previous Olympic Champion and that scared me. She was racing in Lane 4, the best of all the lanes. I was Lane 2 which I guess I had to be happy with. The whistle was called and I was still in my own little world. I looked at my coach who gave me a angry look. I jumped onto the block around 15 seconds after everybody else which embarrassed me and that defiantly didn't help my nerves. My heart was beating right out of my chest. I always try to imagine what I hope each meet will be like. I heard the whistle blow. I shot off the block like rocket.
'I'm stupid, I'm an idiot. I don't deserve this" I told my coach while trying to hold back my tears. It turns out I false started and in swimming you only get one chance. I didn't hear the whistle, I imagined it. I could only blame myself. "Stop overreacting. This is your first time at Olympic Trials, first time under this amount of pressure. Plus you still have the 200 Freestyle which means you can redeem yourself." said my coach. "Are you really that confident in me after everything?" I blurted out unexpectedly. "I may be your coach but you are the swimmer, I may be the one training you and telling you how to improve but you are the one who goes out there and applies everything I tell you and all your corrections. Forget about me and go out there and do it for yourself!" he cheered. That's when it all clicked. I had to please myself no one else. "Thank you. The 200 Free isn't my best but if I focus on myself who knows what will happen?" I said. "That's the spirit. Now go to the call room. You have 10 minutes left." he told me. I bounced off my seat and raced away from the stands. "Oh and hey Alison, of course I have confidence in you!" he broadcasted to the whole arena.
"Now for the Woman's 200m Freestyle Event, Heat 3" announced another commentator.
