Being a student athlete is challenging, as is learning to balance school work and your sport. I am a competitive swimmer for the Northern Kentucky swimmers, and I have nine practices a week. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. to get to practice before school starts, and then I go right after.
My day starts at 4:15 AM, when my alarm goes off. I get ready for school until 4:45, then drive to Silverlake for my first practice of the day from 5:10 to 6:45 AM.
An average practice in the morning is around 3 miles. Once I finish, we usually stop somewhere for breakfast, which is my only motivation to get out of bed. Then, I go to school.
My school day consists of Spanish 2, World History, AP Seminar, Geometry, Publications, and AP Biology. The most difficult part is finding a balance between swimming and school. During my extra time in classes, I try to finish my homework during school so I can relax when I get home.
Once school ends at 2:45, I go back for another swim practice from 3:30 to 5:30, which consists of up to 4 more miles of swimming. On some days, this adds up to over 6 miles. All of this leads up to a swim event that could last only 50 seconds.
Once I get home around 6, I eat dinner and usually clean up the kitchen after. After all of this, I can relax for some time before I get ready for the next day by packing my lunch for the next day and making sure I am not stressed in the morning.
Once I take my shower and brush my teeth, I lie in my bed and usually end up scrolling on my phone for 30 minutes, then fall asleep around 9:30. Then I wake up the next day and do it all again, without the morning practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Although being a swimmer is one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports, it can be rewarding when you reach the goal you have been focusing on succeeding for the season.
