In this post, Riley Dunn talks about her journey with swimming through the years and why she has continued to do it, even through difficult times in her life. She also talks about how swimming, and exercise in general, can be great ways to relieve stress.
While in college, free time is often scarce. Time spent studying, or preparing for class, often takes precedence above all else. It can be difficult to carve out hours in the day for activities that don't relate to your major — or to school in general. However, there are ways that students can stay academically strong, while continuing to do what they love.
For me, competitive swimming has always been something that has kept me calm and allowed me to keep my mood up, even during stressful times in my life. And I know that there are others who feel the same way. A quick Google search shows that exercise helps to improve stress, sleep, self-esteem, and even memory. I choose to believe Google, because this has definitely been true in my life.
I began swimming seriously when I was in fifth grade. At first, it was simply the latest activity in a rotation of sports that I inevitably turned out to be bad at. I tried swimming because it was something I had never done before. I had no idea that I would eventually learn to love the sport, and look forward to the practices and meets that I took part in. Soon, this simple hobby turned into something I was passionate about and looked forward to every day. I rarely missed practice, and I always showed up for meets.
Riley Dunn as a young swimmer
At the time, I didn't see what a huge benefit this time spent swimming would be. In fifth grade, I wasn't really stressed about schoolwork, as it was easy for me and always something I could handle. However, once I entered my middle school years, I really started using my passion as a way to manage stress. The days in which I swam, I found myself feeling much calmer and more relaxed than those where I didn't.
This reached its peak in high school, where I was again faced with more challenging classes, which in turn caused my stress level to skyrocket. During my Freshman and Sophomore years of high school, COVID caused many afterschool activities to shut down — including the swim team. During this time period, I found myself feeling much more down and melancholy. There was nothing to distract me from what was going on within my school, and in the world as a whole. I couldn't go out and swim out all my negative feelings, as I had done so many times in the past. This prompted me to realize the importance of swimming, and exercise in general — how it helps people stay calm and less anxious.
Eventually, in my senior year of high school, I was able to get in a full year of swimming unhindered by the pandemic. And, while I am not the fastest swimmer by any means, I also improved upon my events a lot during those few months. By April of that year, I was eager to continue to improve. Yet I also knew I wanted to attend a large university, where the swim team would likely be on the Division 1 level. So, I compromised. Upon committing to the UI in early 2023, I also looked up and joined the Ifly Masters Swim Program, a club team for adults. While swimming for the Masters hasn't always been during the ideal times, it has certainly allowed me to keep an important aspect of my identity intact in college. It has also allowed me to continue having a way to relieve stress and feel better about the more difficult parts in my life.
Riley Dunn
Whenever I feel down, I just keep swimming!
Author Bio:
Riley Dunn is a first-year student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania majoring in English and creative writing on the publishing track, as well as journalism and mass communication. She is enjoying her time at the University of Iowa so far and hopes to continue to improve her writing. In her free time, she loves reading, writing, swimming, and traveling to new and exciting places.
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