In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share some incredible lessons my mom (and dad) taught me. My parents weren’t traditional “swimming parents.” They didn’t closely follow the sport or stay for practice. They were at every meet cheering me on, but they didn’t devote their lives to the sport for me. They were always supportive but it was up to us to be motivated. My mom never woke me up for 5 a.m. morning practice. It was up to me to get myself up and when I was ready I would wake her up for her to drive me. Even though I had to have the initiative to get myself ready, my mom always had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches packed and ready for me to eat after practice on the way to school.
Ultimately what my mom taught me was she was my parent. She showed me unconditional love and let my coaches coach. My parents trusted my coaches knew what was best for me in the pool and always focused on providing me with love.
My parents have been an integral part to my success in the pool. And I thank them for providing me the tool of self motivation – something that is so important in swimming and life. I love you!
