<p>While I wait for my event to start, the chorus from "Remember The Name" by Fort Minor is blaring in my ears from my iPod. "This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill. Fifteen percent concentrated power of will. Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain." As I am stretching, I am visualizing how I want to swim. I want to enter the water quickly and efficiently, making sure I am the first one. I want my underwater kicks to be small and fast off each flip turn, and under no circumstances can I breathe in between the flags.
I keep repeating to myself, "Harder, faster and stronger." I hear the short whistle of the officials calling me up to the blocks followed by another long whistle signaling me to step up. I clap my hands three times and hear my coach say, "Swim fast."
I shut everything out just to hear the voice of the official say, "Take your marks..." I fix my body position just in time for the 'BEEP' noise. My body in perfect streamline, I dive into the water in a smooth consistent matter.
Submerged underneath the cool water I do approximately seven small and fast underwater kicks; then I emerge from the cool water to start my race. I drive my kicks making them fast and strong. Slightly rotating my hips, I reach as far as I can and pull the water swiftly, and I try to have a consistent breathing pattern of five strokes, one breathe.
I see the opposite wall ahead of me and I race towards it, flip turning as fast as I can. I am once again submerged and I now do approximately five small and fast underwater kicks. Once emerged, I see from my peripheral vision, my competitors catching up. I ignore all the pain and numbness I feel, and I give whatever I have left to finish this race, just like I planned to.
I am the first one to touch the wall and I hear the official say, And the unofficial winner of Heat 4 is Lane 4: Arpeni Mael with a time of 27.00! I shake hands with the swimmers next to me who congratulate me on a remarkable swim.
As I exit the water, a parent from the hosting club team comes up to me with a bucket filled with rubber duckies of different colors. Along with everyone else, she congratulates me on a remarkable swim and tells me to pick my heat prize. In front of me is a tub filled with hundreds of rubber ducks; there are plain ones, striped ones, and polka dotted ones. I choose the light blue rubber ducky with dark blue polka dots. I am thinking to myself, Yay! I have another one to add to my collection!
I gather my belongings and put my earphones back on. I hear the chorus blaring in my ears again as I make my way towards my coach. </p>
<p>okay heres my personal statement. your opinions would mean so much to me!</p>