Last year, when I was still a seventh grader, I participated in the ACMIS (Association of China and Mongolia International Schools) swim meet. It was a very important meet for the swimmers because it is only held once a year. It was an opportunity for me to prove myself. All the effort and sweat I poured into the season finally felt worth it, and not wasted. I was aiming to qualify for the 50 freestyle finals, where there are only 8 spots available for the whole 11-12 age group.

four-and-a-half hour drive. My teammates and I checked in. When it was dinner time, I just stared at my plate and barely ate even though it was a buffet meal. That night, I ignored my roommate’s online request. I went to bed very early, tossed and turned, but I just couldn’t sleep well. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong tomorrow on the big day. What if I got disqualified? What if I swam slower than usual? What if my goggles get filled with water when I make my dive? But deep down, I also felt ready. I had practiced mostly every day, listened to my coach, and pushed myself in training. I knew this was my chance to show what I got.

When I arrived at the host campus’s gym at 7 am, the air smelled like energy. The coaches were checking in with their athletes while they were stretching and moving around to get their muscles activated. Not long after, I was called to go line up for my heat; 50-meter freestyle, my strongest event. As the benches that I am sitting on get closer and closer to the deck, I can clearly feel that my heart is beating harder and butterflies in my stomach are making me feel more and more fluttery. When it finally was time, I stepped onto the block. My heart was pounding, but I took a deep breath, cleared my mind, and listened for the buzzer. The moment I dove in, everything else disappeared. I focused on my strokes, my turns, and staying as fast and steady as I could. I didn’t know if I was ahead or behind. I just buried my head into the water and kept pulling water and throwing my arms as fast as possible. When I crashed into the timing board and saw my time, it was a personal best. I placed second in my heat and felt proud for staying calm and giving it my all. In the end, I did qualify for the finals, but more importantly, I proved to myself that I could stay strong under pressure. That swim meet wasn’t just a race, but it was a real-life reminder of how far hard work and confidence can take you.