I am a Freshman at my high school. When I had first moved to this city three years ago, I couldn't choose a sport. I became in more clubs than sports. I became physically out of shape and developed a "exerscise induced asthma" as my doctor said.
This year was my first year on the swim team. I swam 5 days a week for two hours to train for the varsity team and made it. Never had i been so proud of myself. I had found my perfect stroke and had begun to develop into a faster breaststroker. I started out as one of the slowest girls on the team. I made friends within my lane and had fun doing what I did.
This season our team went through what no other team should have to go through. To begin, one of our coaches quit the day before the biggest meet of the season. We lost our first meet that following night. Our 3 seniors took it the hardest, and nobody even swam the day we found out.
The week after my birthday was the worst week I have ever experienced. Kimberli , one of my closest swim buddies, died in a car crash on her way to school, Tuesday October 23, 2007. Kim was a senior and 17 years old. I was on my way to lunch when I found out. We were so devastated that we canceled our swim meet for the week.
The day of the funeral was the hardest for our team. It was cold, wet and rainy. Our team gave an obituary behind the alter. We had to stand there and not cry, to be strong for our coach, Maria, and Kim. the hardest part was watching the sunny bright face of the girl we knew being buried into the cold frozen ground outside the curch doors.
We hosted our swim conference this year. On the meet shirts, we had hot pink hearts that said Swim for Kim inside them, placed on the left arm; close to our hearts. We will never forget Kimberli, Our team's personal sunshine. I know now that she had her whole life ahead of her, one that was gone in a split second. I won't ever take life for granted again.

~~WE SWIM FOR KIM~~