The Moment I Almost Quit
I can still remember the exact moment I thought I was done with swimming.
It was the middle of a grueling practice, the kind where every set feels endless and your arms feel like they’re dragging cement through the water. I was staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool, fighting back tears, and the thought came into my head as clear as day: I don’t want to do this anymore.
At that age, I had already been swimming for years. I knew the early mornings, the sacrifices, the pressure of meets where every hundredth of a second seemed to matter. But something about that day, whether it was the exhaustion, the frustration of not hitting times, the weight of expectations made me wonder if it was all worth it. Walking away felt easier than pushing through.
Why Quitting Felt Like the Only Option
Age group swimmers don’t always talk about it, but burnout is real. I think every swimmer at one point or another starts to wonder what life looks like without swimming. The sport demands a lot from kids, more than most people realize. It demands a lot from parents, coaches, volunteers, etc. Early mornings before school, long afternoons at the pool, weekends traveling to meets. It sometimes feels like swimming takes up every ounce of time and energy.
For me, the pressure wasn’t just physical. It was mental. I compared myself constantly to teammates who seemed to drop time every meet. I compare myself to those who swam before me and those who made the sport seem easy and effortless. I worried about disappointing my coaches or not living up to what others thought I could be. I watched my non-swimmer friends go to birthday parties, football games, or sleepovers while I was in bed early for practice. After a while, the joy that first brought me to the sport started to feel like a chore.
That’s when the thought of quitting started to creep in. And if you’ve ever felt the same, you know how heavy that decision feels.
The Turning Point
What stopped me from walking away wasn’t a magical race or some huge breakthrough. It was a small moment. I was scrolling through pictures on my phone, and came across one that couldn’t help but make me smile. I was maybe 3 years old, goggles on my face, and the biggest smile that I had ever seen. The question came up in my head, one that I couldn’t shake. “Why did I start swimming in the first place?”
That question made me pause. I remembered being a little kid splashing around at the pool, laughing with friends, falling in love with the water. I remembered the excitement of my first ribbons and medals, not because they were gold but because they represented fun and progress. I realized that somewhere along the way, I had gotten so wrapped up in the grind and the pressure that I’d forgotten why I loved it.
I realized that swimming was never really a sacrifice, but something I am thankful for everyday.
Why I Stayed
Looking back, I’m grateful I made that decision. Staying in the sport gave me so much more than faster times. It gave me teammates who became lifelong friends, travel experiences I’ll never forget, and lessons that have shaped me as a person.
Swimming taught me resilience, the ability to keep going even when things feel impossible. It taught me discipline, time management, and how to handle both success and failure with grace. Most of all, it taught me that the hardest days often lead to the most growth. If I had quit in that moment of frustration, I would have missed out on all of it.
What I Want Age Group Swimmers to Know
If you’re an age group swimmer reading this, and you’ve felt the urge to quit, I want you to know something: you’re not alone. Every swimmer, even Olympians, hits moments of doubt and burnout. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human.
Here are a few things that helped me, and that might help you:
- Talk about it. Share how you’re feeling with a coach, parent, or teammate. You don’t have to carry the weight alone.
- Remember your “why.” Go back to the reason you first started swimming. Maybe it was for fun, for friends, or simply because you loved the water. Hold onto that.
- Take small steps. Instead of thinking, “I have to do this forever,” commit to just one more practice, one more set, one more week.
- Lean on your team. Swimming feels individual, but the friendships and support around you are what make it worth it.
- Take a break when you need it. If you’re feeling mentally or physically overwhelmed, it’s okay to step back and give yourself space to recover so you can return healthy and ready.
Full Circle
That day in the pool when I almost quit still sticks with me. But now, when I think about it, I don’t see it as a low point, I see it as a turning point. It taught me that the moments when we want to walk away are often the moments when we have the most to gain by staying.
Quitting might have felt easier, but staying opened doors I couldn’t see at the time. And if you’re standing at that same crossroads, staring at the black line and wondering if it’s all worth it, I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to stay too.
Because sometimes the biggest victories in swimming don’t happen on the scoreboard. They happen in the choice to keep going.
Summer Finke is a regular contributor to Swimming World. A two-time qualifier for the United States Olympic Trials, she competed collegiately for North Carolina State University and was a multi-time NCAA Championships qualifier.
