By Annie Grevers, Swimming World Staff Writer
I listened to a rousing speech by 1996, 2000 Olympian Josh Davis a couple months ago. One of the things that made it most stirring was the attitude of gratitude he so genuinely exuded. He challenged the clinic participants to say thank you loudly in the way they live their lives. Davis talked about Paralympian Tao Zheng who lost his arms to electric shock as a child. After explaining how the swimmer gets through the water and finishes his race with his head, Davis asked the kids, “Do you think he slows down into the wall?” No. His skull came crashing into the touchpad with ferocity.
This particular clinic’s participants were able-bodied swimmers. “Be grateful for your sore arms, not everyone has arms that get sore,” Davis said. This was not pointed out to make us pity the outstanding athlete, but to make us aware that our normal is very different from someone else’s.
Be grateful for your long practices, not everyone has the means to pay for club swimming or a parent willing to support their endeavor. Be grateful for your teammate beating you in practice, not everyone experiences the privilege of competition; drawing out a version of yourself you might have never known.
View full post on swimmingworldmagazine
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