I looked up to them, in and out of the pool. It was hard to keep up during the impossible practices, but I knew I had to push through it to reach their level, and I did exactly that. I pushed myself farther than I ever thought possible and I will never forget the moments when I realized that I achieved my goal to become as good a swimmer as them. Not only were they role models in the pool, but also in how they acted out of the pool. The sense of family created by them was truly what made me love swimming throughout these years. The welcoming and supportive atmosphere helped me build confidence in myself, which ultimately helped me come out as gay to them first. I will never forget the feeling of acceptance that I felt around them, and as a senior now I make sure that that sense of family is even stronger for the next
I looked up to them, in and out of the pool. It was hard to keep up during the impossible practices, but I knew I had to push through it to reach their level, and I did exactly that. I pushed myself farther than I ever thought possible and I will never forget the moments when I realized that I achieved my goal to become as good a swimmer as them. Not only were they role models in the pool, but also in how they acted out of the pool. The sense of family created by them was truly what made me love swimming throughout these years. The welcoming and supportive atmosphere helped me build confidence in myself, which ultimately helped me come out as gay to them first. I will never forget the feeling of acceptance that I felt around them, and as a senior now I make sure that that sense of family is even stronger for the next