News From The Zoo: Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving

by Josh Huger (MrUtopia)

The following post is taken from the Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving Blog. This is the seventh of many posts from HWSD on SwimUtopia. Each week a different team member will chronicle the team’s journeys throughout the year and bring the HWSD experience to you.  So please read and enjoy.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving at newsfromthezoo@gmail.com!

A Belated Holiday Post (Taylor Foster ’14)

Taylor Foster writing here from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. I’m a sophomore swimmer in the backstroke group on HWSD. Now’s the time of year when we are entering the second phase of training, with only 9 weeks out from championships. We are leaving our HWSD family and coming home to our other families. After a long few weeks of final exams, papers, and projects I know we are all in need of some much deserved R&R. But unlike other students of the college, we are only home for a little less than two weeks. The phrase “hold the rope” comes into true meaning when we all train with our respective home teams. “Hold the rope” is a phrase we use to represent each of our own piece in the team’s success. Comparable to a game of tug of war when one teammate drops their grip on the rope, the rest of the team has to make up the slack. When we all do our part and put in the work for the good of whole, our end goals will surely be exceeded. Though we all come from such different backgrounds and parts of the world, we are still one team even when apart from one another. Getting up before the sun on your holiday break to put in the work for your teammates is what true dedication is. It truly is a season of sacrifice and giving around the holidays in more ways than one. With the much awaited J-term training and our Puerto Rico training trip on the horizon, the burdens of school no longer exist and we can focus on honing in on our skills. Santa’s  HWSD elves named Steph and Matt send us encouraging “stocking stuffers” from time to time with motivational quotes or messages that end in “MondayAM…be prepared,” but the all time favorite is a promise of Ihop for a increase by 2 in our max pull-up test.

Being home and swimming with other college students who are on break is something that I always enjoy. It’s entertaining to hear all of their stories from great schools and swim teams around the country. I take pride in wearing my Harvard cap and representing my school and team while away from campus. Telling others about HWSD always leaves me feeling so fortunate to be a part of the amazing group of women that make up the team. Our dedication to the sport as well as each other is something truly special, and when we are away from each other this comes into the spotlight.

Wishing you a happy holiday season from HWSD!