11.
“I dated a swimmer for five years when I was young. He’s not an active athlete anymore, but was when we lived together. He missed the Olympics by a few milliseconds. After school, we’d hang out and do homework together for about two to three hours, and then he’d go swimming for three hours. Six days a week. Sunday was gym, strength, or running day. I went with him to many competitions and cheered him on. The amount of food he had to eat was absolutely wild. He was super skinny — 6’5″ and barely reaching 154 lbs — and it was hard for him to gain weight due to all the training. We had a rack of medals in the living room and a cabinet of trophies, which he was very proud of. Water was his element. Wherever we went — holidays, getaways — he needed to get his two to three hours of swimming in. He taught me butterfly style, which is super hard. I can do two strokes, and that is it.”
“It was very interesting, and I learned a lot about swimming and the intricacies of pro athletics. We didn’t have much time for each other since I danced semi-professionally in a group, but I don’t regret it one bit — it was a fun time. You have to be comfortable with your own company. The sport will almost always come first, and it can be a lonely life, but I like my freedom, so it was fine for me.”
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