GOOD DAY FELLOW HIVERS
It's another week and we've being given the topic of our favourite sports to write about.
Without any doubt, swimming is my favourite sport at present. I've been swimming now for about 5 years, and I can say that I absolutely love the experience. I started swimming in my first year in the university. A friend of mine who was also a one-year junior in secondary school always talked to me about the pool and how it was so much fun to be in and I decided to try it out. Sometime in second semester, I followed him to the pool and I haven't looked back since then. What started as a quest for fun and a means to while away time has now become a major aspect of my life. I am currently on the school swimming team of University of ibadan. Hell, if I wasn't in medical school I should probably be the captain of the team right now.
ABOUT THE SPORT
The standard Olympic pool is about 50 metres in length and there are four swimming strokes which are widely accepted for competition purposes all over the world. The strokes are not limitEd to these four alone as they can be combined in various ways for the purposes of training. These four strokes are the breaststroke, the backstroke, the butterfly stroke, and the front crawl. There's also an event in swimming where a single person does all four strokes in a particular order of fly, back, breast, crawl,and that is called the individual medley and an event where four people people do each of the four strokes and that is a relay medley. There are starting blocks for the competitors to stand on and after the whistle or the gun is let off as the case may be, the competitors dive into the water and try to get to the other end as quickly as possible.
Why do I love swimming
It is very fun
A random trip to any pool at all would let you know that you do not have to be a swimmer to have fun in the pool. Couples can be seen splashing water amongst themselves. Kids can be seen giggling and laughing as they fight with water guns in the water. The joy in the pool is always palpable, and that is one thing I really love about the sport.
It is mostly safe
I remember when I used to play football and I would always have injuries on my legs and other parts of my body. In the pool, I almost never get any injuries, and in competition you are alone in your lane. If anyone enters my lane during the competition, they get disqualified. I think this fact is another reason why I really really love swimming. Some people complain about the fear of drowning. While this is a very valid fear, it can easily be averted by going to the pool with someone who knows what they are doing. Whether it's a friend who already can swim or a coach you pay for.
Health benefits
I do not believe there is a sport that more completely exercises every single muscle in the body. What makes it crazier is the fact that you're moving these muscles against resistance because the water doesn't want to move these muscles easily so you have to exert more energy to move around in the water. This makes it very great exercise for the body and the heart.
I've listed the reasons why I love swimming and it is my hope that some of you out there can pick up this glorious art of swimming.
Good luck and Adios.
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