Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming…

A few nights ago we went to an end of season award ceremonies for McKenzie’s swim team. All of the parents gathered around waiting for it to begin, and of course all of the kids run off to go play on the play ground. Gratefully the six and under were the first to get their awards. The Coach gave her little speech about how hard they had worked, and how some of the children really didn’t know how to swim very well in the beginning, but now were strong swimmers. This is my McKenzie. McKenzie really hadn’t swum in the deep end of the pool until the first day of swim practice. They had her jump off of the diver’s blocks and start swimming, to my surprise she didn’t sink to the bottom and came up smiling. I was so proud of her.
When school let out, we had 11 am practice, and McKenzie was always dressed and ready to go. Every day, she would swim her little heart out. Then we had the first swim meet. There were 4 girls swimming against her in the freestyle. And in that meet she only stopped a few times to hold the rope and catch her breath. In the meets to come she would stop in the lanes and hold on to the rope. And typically she would come in last place. But she never gave up. She would always look forward to practice, and be dressed and ready to go at 11 am. Never once did she make a comment about always being the one to finish last. But, she looks forward to going to practice every day.
McKenzie received two awards for swim team. One was the trophies that they receive just for joining the team, but the second trophies was for most improved. We brought it home and it sits on the bookcase with all of her little 5th and 6th place ribbons she received. But to me the biggest reward of all is how she swam the race. She just kept going, and never gave up.