I woke up in the middle of the morning, which was a mistake considering the event I had in about 9 hours. I tried get a grip of myself, but I was too nervous. A few hours later I decided to get out of bed. I didn't let the upcoming competition interfere with my daily routines: I got dressed, drank my cup of coffee and read the newspaper. I tried not to get out of focus …showed first 75 words of 250 total…

…showed last 75 words of 250 total…to go wrong. The last minute was at hands. I got on the edge, started to concentrate and listened to the countdown. The seconds flew, as did I. I proceeded rapidly, faster than anyone else. I was the first to make the turn. Only the last strokes left, yes, I did it. I managed to win. Never did I even think otherwise. The feeling I had was purely extatic. This is what competing is about.