Championships

Here's a true story from Emily(age 10) in Massachussetts. I'm not a swimmer, but I really felt like I was right there with her as I was reading this. Way to go, Emily! Congratulations!

Championships

Splash!

Water hits my face as the swimmers dive into the water.

I can do this! I can do this!

It’s approximately 9:15 on a freezing cold morning. Goosebumps
have officially invaded my body. I look at my hand, shaking and blue.
I’m so nervous. The day I’ve looked forward to and dreaded all year has
arrived. Championships.

But my coach, Tim, turns to me. “You can win this easy. This is
your race. And y’know what? You’ve worked hard this year. I bet you
can beat your old time.” He smiles.

“Thanks,” I say.

“Swimmers step up.”

Quickly I snap on my goggles and step onto the wet, slippery
diving block. Help me! I scream in my head.

“Take your mark…”

I bend down and squeeze my eyes shut.

Beep!

I push off, soaring long and far. I dive nice and shallow. The
water feels warm and comforting on my bare legs.

I feel a surge of speed and kick my legs hard, a fierce geyser
sprouting behind me. I tune out everything I hear, everything I see,
except the wall. The wall. It seems so far away. But I will reach it.

First.

My arms scoop over the water, pulling, pulling. Water fills my
goggles and every thing becomes a blur. But the wall, dark and solid,
remains ahead of me. I picture myself with a shimmering, glittery
trophy. I scoop harder, kick faster, and breathe less and less.

My arm reaches out. My fingers feel the scratchy prickle of the
wall. My heart is ready to burst. My head sprouts out of the water like a
flower. My knees straighten and I pull myself out of the water.

A wave of relief, triumph, and a pinch of worry wash over me. What if I didn’t
win? What if all the other racers finished first? I search for the timer to
find out if I beat my old time. I find him and ask him my old time.

“19.47.”

“My new time?”

“16.23.”

My jaw hits the ground. 16.23? A sensation of excitement hits
me hard. I stand there, utterly amazed. I smile to myself. I reached the
wall first.

The End

Thanks for sending this, Emily! If there's something you would like us to post on our blog, send it to us at blog@newmoon.org.