Carlos Rico, Spanish, EAL, Global Perspectives and TOK Coordinator 

“I’ve been swimming since I was four years old. And while I’ve always loved the water, it’s been ten years since I had swum in a race. Last September, I set a goal for myself: to qualify for the Masters German National Championships. In December, I generated a qualifying time and from there onwards, I trained at least 6 times a week. It wasn’t easy. But discipline and habits are powerful things, and I knew that if I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to stick to my routine. I made sure to get enough sleep and stay in the right mindset even when the workouts were tough.

All of my hard work paid off when I stood on the podium, the winner of the 1500m freestyle in my age group and scoring 8th place overall. And to add to my excitement, I also took third place in my age group in the 400m individual medley race and placed 11th overall.

But it’s not just about the medals, you know? Swimming has been a constant in my life, a way to stay physically and mentally healthy. When I’m in the water, all of life’s stresses melt away, and I am completely present in the moment. Plus, there’s something about the rhythm of the strokes that is incredibly meditative.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the help of my loved ones. My wife, who has been my biggest support from the start, my family, who instilled in me the values of hard work and dedication, and friends and colleagues at the FIS, who trust and believed in me every step of the way. So, while I may have been the one standing on the podium, accepting a medal, this success was not mine alone. It belonged to all of us who believed in me, who supported me, and who worked alongside me to achieve this goal.”

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