Lately, I was asked two questions. One of them was easy to answer because someone asked me the same question not a long time ago. The other one was kind of hard to answer on the spot, so I took some time to think about it the next day at breakfast.
Let me start with the question which was part of the table discussion the night I was invited to dinner by Gary Sr.:
“What can we do to make the camper’s (swimmer’s) experience even better?”
No answer that night, so I hope Gary Sr. will be reading this to finally get one. We figured out that I’ve been in the Keys quite a few times and that’s maybe why he thought I had an answer ready.
So, what can be done to make all this even better than it already is? To be honest with you, there aren’t many things that are coming to my mind. And also the quick research in the testimonial section on The Race Club website didn’t help me.
Now, with Mike Bottom as the official Race Club coach, being permanently down in the Keys and probably a bunch of high profile athletes down there for most of the time – I really don’t know how you want to provide a better experience to anybody.
But I strongly believe that the willingness to be better is what is going to make the camps even better. It’s just like in the swimming (and every other sport) itself – as long as you keep an open mind and move on to be the best you can, you will improve and succeed!
Every single stay was different in his particular way, but always as perfect as I wanted it to be. And exactly that thrive to high standards and perfection is what makes me feel better (in an out of the pool) than anywhere else I have ever been or trained. With that said, I never had any regrets making the trip and it seems that the same is true for all the other campers.
So eventually, we seem to be a bunch of happy campers!
This is a little bonus here. I thought this might be interesting for all of us to think about and hear what others have to say. Andy asked me this question during a passionate discussion over swimming.
“What do you hate (love) about swimming?”
Easy right? Here’s my answer. There’s nothing I hate about swimming – not kicking, not pulling, not even breaststroke – I simply love every aspect of it, otherwise I wouldn’t hop in the pool so often.
Sure thing, training isn’t fun every day but I think that’s part of the deal if you decide to play any sport at a high level. I have to assume that I love to workout and do just what ever I’ve been told to. But I swear that I’ll be the first to quit once I do no longer have fun and enjoy it – because I’m not the person who wants to waste his time. I rather remember the good times in swimming than having bad ones and regrets.
Long live The Race Club!
This is a piece I wrote for the Race Club where you’ll find the original diary post “As Good As It Gets / Among the Best – Part 2” as well as Part 1 and many others.