Resilience, persistence, and hard work are cherished virtues in my community, values that I embraced when I began my late foray into competitive swimming in year eight. Naively, I envisioned a progressively ascending journey: 2018, on the rise, 2019, on the rise, and 2020 pressed pause on my ambitions.

The routine of waking up to the persistent "beep beep" of the clock at 5:55, followed by the decisive stroke of 6:00, marked the commencement of my day during lockdowns. While waking up early for workouts before online school might be a nightmare for many, for me and others in my swimming community, it became second nature. Having once braved the icy waters at 5:30, adapting to trading my cozy doona for a living room workout during the greyish-blue mornings was almost enjoyable. Seeing my teammates assembled on Zoom, performing their sets and circuits in their kitchens, gardens, or bedrooms, made me feel alive and refilled my depleting hope to compete again.

Yet the reality of being confined indoors and separated from my cherished pool posed a formidable challenge. The paths of aspiring athletes, once on optimistic trajectories, were abruptly obstructed by the global pandemic. Despite the hardships, the unwavering commitment to our community's core values has fueled our resilience during these challenging times. I found innovative and unique ways to train. One approach involved securing an elastic band to a pole, allowing me to replicate the pull motion and maintain mobility in my somewhat rusty shoulders. Another unconventional technique involved rapid kicking on a yoga ball while holding a plank position, reacquainting myself with the sensation of kicking. Then after online school wrapped up, I would go for a jog (with my mask on) along the riverbank to keep up my fitness.

But what was I training for? Why was I still doing this amid a never-ending pandemic? I might as well retire; I’d had a good run. The doubt compounded and aggravated my anxiety.

Yet, every day, waking up to the persistent “beep beep” of the clock at 5:55, seeing my teammates lined up on Zoom, and dreaming about breaking records on records upon our return together, I was again invigorated. Thanks to the hour-long chats with my coach, motivational quotes in our group chats, and swimming memes that my teammates kept forwarding me, I persevered. Fueled by inner momentum and peer empowerment to qualify for nationals, I found myself caught in this repetitive cycle. After all, who was I to surrender?

And just like me, we all did. My team reached new heights in the first full season afterwards, as we trained harder than ever to make up for the time lost.

As for COVID, as hard as it was for us — no face-to-face contact, no sports, and no human connection — it also taught us how to be resilient. For that I am grateful.