HWI Swim Team - MYHWIMOMENT

#MYHWIMOMENT

It's easy to celebrate the moment a goal is completed, but often what you learn on the journey to reach that goal is far more important than the goal itself. Here we showcase the moments that mean the most to our swimmers & coaches, and the ups and downs during the journey that took them there.

This month we have an inspirational moment from Performance swimmer Natalie Ho...

NATALIE HO 01/12/20

Hi, my name is Natalie! I’ve swam with Harry Wright since I was five – currently, I’m a 13 year old performance squad swimmer.

MY HWI MOMENT

Rather than choosing one isolated HWI moment, I’ve decided to illustrate a selection of moments that have made me realise my love for swimming – the good, the bad, and everything in between.

THE STORY BEHIND MY MOMENT

Swimming started off as a chore for me, as many other swimmers might be able to relate to. I began swimming to ‘follow in my sister’s foot-steps’ as I did with everything else. Everyday, I packed my swim bag, put on my swimsuit, and went to the pool – gradually, this routine became so interwoven into my daily life to the point where it felt mundane. From what I can remember, a typical question that arose was:

"WHY CAN'T I GO ON PLAY-DATES AFTER SCHOOL RATHER THAN DIVING INTO THE POOL AGAIN?"

As I grew older, I got promoted to the gold squad and formed a tight-knit community – my friends. From there, I derived my motivation to swim from my friends: my source of energy, passion, and drive. Everyday after school, one of us would text the group chat; we asked about each other’s day, told each other about the highlights of our day, and wondered about what the set at training would be.

After training, we re-grouped in the changing room and continued our discussions; our post-training conversations spanned from our food cravings to the horrific volume of school work we still had to complete. We exited the pool together and said our goodbyes; knowing very well that we’d see each other the following day and do everything all over again.

Slowly, my daily interactions with my friends alleviated the burden that I previously felt towards swimming. Subconsciously, all my negative feelings towards swimming were overpowered by the positive emotions I felt when seeing my friends and training alongside them. Packing my swim bag and putting on my swimsuit became a means to preparing for training and seeing my friends. Eventually, I came to realise that training was a means to my own physical, mental, and emotional strength.

"THE MORE I TRAINED, THE STRONGER I GOT - THE STRONGER I GOT, THE MORE I TRAINED."

Every time I dived into the pool, I was no longer going through the motions with a mindset best characterised as a blank slate – collectively, my friends and I were moving closer towards our respective goals, together. The pool was no longer a mere pit-stop that halted my journey from school to home; it became a safe space for my friends and I to re-connect, and an arena for me to test my potential.

MY MOMENT NOW

Swimming has helped me in all aspects of my life and it has instilled all of the values that I hold today. I might not be the best swimmer in the pool, and I'm fine with that. I’ve learnt that swimming doesn't only mean being the fastest and the one that wins the most medals. Swimming has helped me physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m not saying that swimming for me has always been good and that I've never had setbacks. I’m saying that it is those moments, those setbacks, the good and bad, that have made me love swimming.