Sarah Bids Farewell
I was not a diver or swimmer in high school, I was a gymnast. So when I decided to make that leap of faith and attend the first day of diving practice I had no idea what I was in for. I could have never imaged how scary flipping into water would be and how many bruises I would get my very first year (let’s just say I “smacked” a lot). Becoming a diver was sometimes difficult, but it was also one of the most rewording experiences of my life.
My favorite part of diving was not receiving high scores, the awesome food after meets, getting that one new dive for the first time, or doing well at a meet; it was the wonderful teammates that I got to meet along the way. My first year, I met another freshman, Regina, who was fairly new to this sport, too! She has since stopped diving but is still one of my greatest friends. I also had the opportunity to dive with Liz for two years. Liz would always say at practices “I support you” whenever we were trying a new dive. And I knew that she really meant what she said, she always supported me to try that new dive and go for it in a meet! Danielle is another wonderful teammate, I have never had so many laughs at practice or such long talks at our meets. To Claire, Shelby and Evan; as Liz would say, “I support you.” You are all great divers and I will miss you next year. Even though our team has always been small I have never worked with so many amazing people.
I want to thank my Dad and Mom for cheering me on every step of the way. They have gone to many of my meets (coming all the way from Manitowoc, on the other side of Wisconsin) and back just to watch me perform 12 dives. They come all the way to the conference meet every year just to cheer me on. They have always been a huge support system in everything that I do. Another person I would like to thank is Coach Eric, he has always made me feel like a part of the team and is so understanding that school must come first. Lastly I would like to thank Coach JJ, he has taken me as a gymnast and made me into a diver and I know that wasn’t always easy. Thank you for making practice fun and a place where I could stop worrying about everything else and just focus on diving, you are a great coach. I want to thank everyone for always cheering me on.
I believe that many things change from freshman year to your senior year, but diving has always been the same, and I am so thankful for that. Looking back at all the challenges I’ve overcome and friends I’ve made, I have no regrets for taking that leap of faith and joining the SMU swimming and diving team.
