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    Hayley Thoi: Offering #2 P3 PDF

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    Hayley Thoi: Offering #2 P3 PDF

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    twilight.rosepanda
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    Hayley Thoi: Offering %232 P3.PDF

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    17 views2 pages

    Hayley Thoi: Offering #2 P3 PDF

    Uploaded by

    twilight.rosepanda

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Hayley Thoi

    Mr. Omweg

    English 1A

    3/13/24

    Swim to Aspire

    The pool is a very daunting place to be, the deep waters sloshing back and forth from

    wall to wall. It’s terrifying the first time. I remember a six year old self hopping straight into the

    three foot side with an instructor learning how to blow bubbles and do starfish floats. I have been

    more committed every year since, attending every lesson until making my first appearance on a

    team. Competing for the first time and the adrenaline of the crowd cheering me on. It’s a

    refreshing experience and every summer has shaped me into how I am today. Balancing it with

    school and extracurricular activities has always exhausted me, driving back and forth from one

    class to another. Nevertheless, swimming, despite being exercise, always had me coming out

    more energized than before. It was like washing away the stress of school, finals, and academic

    work. When I’m in the water, I don’t have to think about anything and just allow my body to

    work with the water. I’ver swam at Valley Christian, Creekside Cudas, and Swim South Bay,

    which has guided me and given experience for the last several years. I’ve built a connection with

    friends around me and my own community.

    The connection to our class is leading an epicurean life. Hedonism plays a strong role in

    why I swim and aspire to become better. It is both a kinetic and static pleasure, when I’m in the

    water, I feel at peace as I am able to push away any negative thoughts or feelings and focus on

    the task given. When I am finished, I feel relaxed and retain a stable pleasure, not wanting
    anything, or in pain. Epicurus believed that static pleasure was the best kind of pleasure and left

    the suitor in a state of ataraxia. The ingredients for a state of pleasure were friends, which I gain

    from being close with for many years and spending countless hours with inside jokes and endless

    experiences. The second one was freedom, which for me, being in the pool gives me a sense of

    that and is like a vice to escape school and academics. The last ingredient was to have an

    analyzed life which is what I do after every race and look back and admire the things I was proud

    of and attempt to work on my flaws. The sport gives me profound happiness and something to

    work for.

    I build connections everyday with the people who are around me including my coach,

    despite being in his late sixties always tells me, “ If you focus on every little detail, you're

    already on the other side.” It has translated to me that working hard will pay off before you know

    it, and that it brings me pleasure. Furthermore, I want to spread that joy to others and over the

    summer, I started giving out lessons to younger kids and reminiscing about the times I had. I

    want to give them the same experiences I had and allow them to feel the same way. The sport has

    taught me the value of hard work, consistency, and gave me some of my closest friends.

    Swimming always feels like my vice to escape and passing that on will always be my goal, I will

    never forget my wins and losses no matter what they teach me.

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