1st Official Swimming Competition

Three weeks ago, I brought back our School Swimming Competition Enrolment form. After looking at it, mommy suddenly asked if I'll be interested to try the competing. She told me that if I'm interested, she will sign me up for the 100m Breast Stroke event. I excitedly told her I want. Of course, mommy didn't expect me to win anything as I do not have any formal competitive swimming training. She just want me to gain some exposure and experience it.

We totally forgot about the whole thing until Friday when my teacher handed me a form informing me that I was selected and will be competing on next Tuesday (10th Feb)! I will be competing with 4 other Primary 2 girls for the event. So mommy told daddy that he better teach me how to jump/dive into the pool and thus, on Saturday and Sunday, we headed to Swimming Club for a last minute Diving session with daddy.

However, instead of teaching me the correct way of diving (Hand first), daddy told me to just dive as far as I can with my legs in first. He told mommy that with no proper training, head first might caused injury. Mommy almost fainted when she saw the way I dived into the pool. She told daddy it would be a joke if I dive this way on Tuesday but daddy said safety first. I told daddy and mommy I want to learn how to dive like those swimmers in the Milo advertisement but daddy said, it doesn't matter as long as I don't hurt myself.

Mommy then timed me on my 100m Breast stroke swim and my best time was 3 minutes and 26 seconds!! This is double the record held by another Primary 2 girls in 2006. She took only 1 minute 40 seconds to swim that distant!

However, mommy didn't want to discourage me and thus didn't tell me that. All she said to me was "Its doesn't matter if you win or lose; if you comes in 1st or last. What matter most is that you have put in your best and complete the race." She said that this does not only apply to this competition but also in everything I do.

And just in case I felt bad swimming so slowly on Tuesday, daddy & mommy told me not to worry where the rest of the competitors are, just concentrate on my own swimming and try my best to swim as fast as I can.

Mommy now can only pray that I won't be too far behind the last competitor. And whatever the outcome, daddy & mommy will be there to give me a well-done hug once I finished.