This year is my first year on a swim team.

A few weeks ago our swim team had its first meet and the day of the meet I found out my coach had put me in the 500yard freestyle.

I knew that there was no way I would be able to finish this event yet alone do good in it because I have never swam that far before that day.

I told the coach that I didn't think it was a good idea to put me, one of the least experienced people on the team, in this event.

But he told me I still had to do it.

A couple events before mine came up, I saw a kid that was mentally and physically challenged dive in the pool and swim a 100yard freestyle. This usually isn't a too hard of an event to swim but when I saw him struggle and swim the whole way without stopping, I knew that I had to at least try and if I loved this sport enough and tried hard enough that I would be able to finish the 500 race.

When I got up to swim I was nervous, but the whole time I was up there and the whole time I was swimming I was thinking about that kid and all the dedication and determination he had. The more I thought about it, the harder I swam.

In the end, I placed third in the event and I knew that if I tried hard enough I would be able to finish anything I put my mind to.