swimming

Many of us were taught to think about sport or competition a certain way. Perhaps it’s part of the culture of living in the U.S. or our modern worlds monetization of time. You compete to win, earn something; Medals. Trophies. Rankings. Records. Glory. Fame. Prestige. Pride. Win or lose. First or forgotten. But there is another way to look at it—one that feels older, deeper, and far more honest. Sport, at its core, is not about beating someone else. It is about meeting yoursel

When I sat down to write Ring Four: The Book of Butterfly, I knew I was stepping into dangerous territory, not just because butterfly is a brutal stroke, but because it exposes you, and for right or wrong people have strong opinions about it. It might be the most revealing stroke of them all. You can’t fake it. You can’t hide behind endurance, or muscle, or even willpower. If your rhythm is off, if your timing falters, the water tells you immediately.