THE ECHO

by Ella Staton

Annabelle Miller, a freshman on the girls’ swim team, gives a detailed look at her routine leading up to and during a swim meet.  

Miller’s meet prep begins the night before. After school ends at 3:30 p.m., she will go to swim practice and occasionally, club volleyball practice.  

“I have volleyball practice on Wednesdays, and we usually have meets on Thursdays. When I get home from both practices, I shower and quickly eat dinner,” Miller said. 

At 8:00 p.m., Miller arrives home. Her typical pre-meet dinner is pasta or any meal with lots of carbs.  

“Before meets, I love to eat pasta,” said Miller. “It makes me feel better when I’m swimming the next day.” 

After dinner, Miller packs her bag to reduce stress the next morning.  

“I pack my goggles, swimsuit, towel, and spare clothes,” Miller said.  

By 9:00 p.m., she is asleep. 

“I try to get a little more sleep before meets,” Miller said. 

Miller’s morning starts at 4:30 a.m. when her first alarm for practice goes off. 

“I set my alarms for 4:30,” said Miller. “I have to leave pretty soon after that.” 

Miller begins her day with a protein bar. Practice officially starts at 5:30 a.m. 

“I’m not very nervous during practice,” said Miller. “It’s just normal for me.” 

Most swim meets start at 6:00 p.m., and the order of events is typically the same. 

“I swim the 50 free and 100 free, along with some relays,” Miller said. 

Before Miller’s events she listens to music and avoids talking to others.  

“To get in the race mindset, I kind of don’t talk to anyone. I just listen to music,” Miller said. 

During the meets, the spirit of the team is happy and exciting. Miller has about 10 minutes between her events and enjoys cheering on her teammates. 

“I’m pretty sure I cheer more than anybody on the team,” Miller said. 

In addition to cheering on her own teammates, Miller enjoys talking to friends and competitors from other schools. 

“I like talking to my friends and looking for my competition,” Miller said. 

At 9:00 p.m., Miller arrives home.  

“I don’t really eat afterwards,” said Miller. “I don’t feel like it.” 

Meets go late into the night, so Miller tries to complete her homework at school or after practice. 

“I can normally get it done in the morning if I try,” Miller said. 

At 4:30 a.m. the next morning, Miller’s alarm goes off, preparing her to do it all over again.