Being an athlete at Oswego definitely has its ups and downs. First off, I love being on the swim team. It is a wonderful environment and being in a sport has really added structure to my life. Being an athlete has many benefits. 

Staying in shape, making tons of new friends, and getting to represent your school in competition are some benefits just to name a few. Staying in shape is such a good way to maintain not only physical health but mental health as well. Exercising every day is one of the best ways to keep your body fit and in shape. 

But what people usually do not think about is how it can benefit you mentally. Staying active has kept my brain focused on something. I am constantly active and moving which helps my brain stay active. Another great thing that has come with being an athlete is the new friends I have made. 

Getting to know the team over the past season has been great, I have made so many new friends and made so many memories with those new friends. Making friends on the team has been probably the most beneficial part of being an athlete. When coming into a new environment like college, it can be hard to get to know people and make new friends.

But when you are an athlete on a team, you have the potential to have a bunch of new friends that you see every day and just like that you have a new group. With this new group, you have the opportunity to represent your school in competition. 

I love swim meets. Cheering on your team and hoping that all your teammates succeed, and then it is your turn and you get to show off your skills and do your best to win. Now while I have discussed some benefits to being an athlete, there are also challenges that can come with it. Exhaustion from occasional overtraining, waking up before sunrise and traveling long distances are some of the obvious challenges.

But I think the biggest one for me was being able to balance my athletic life with both my academic and personal life. I struggled at the beginning, but when I eventually did figure it out I realized that the challenge of balancing everything became a benefit because I now had the capability to balance multiple aspects of life and still be able to be successful in all of them. I think that this is what really helped me to succeed as a collegiate athlete this year. 

Overall, being an athlete for sure has had its ups and downs, but for me the good far outweighed the bad and I cannot wait to pick it back up in the fall. But for now I will enjoy the offseason after a successful winter. 

Photo via: Oswego Athletics