What are you doing at 5 in the morning?

    Most people would answer sleeping, but for the NHS swim team, they’re awake and preparing for 5:30 morning practice. The swim team meets three times a week before school and every weekday after school to practice for their competition. Like many sports, swimming takes a lot of dedication. But what exactly is the average day of a swimmer like? Let’s dive in to find out!

    5:30 a.m.

    Since morning practice starts at 5:30 a.m.,the swimmers show up early to get ready.

    “I set my alarm for 4:42 a.m., so I can actually wake myself up, eat something small, get all my things ready for school (and my clothes for when we have dryland), and I’m off!” sophomore Rachel Tat said.

    “Honestly, at this point, I’m used to [waking up early],” freshman Gavin Cooley said. “I can tell how [the practices] make me stronger, and that makes it worth it.”

     7:35 a.m.

    And if waking up for morning practice isn’t difficult enough, Tat also has earned a spot in the top ten students of the sophomore class.

    “The homework load is hard, but to balance everything, I just try my best not to procrastinate,” Tat said.

 10:49 a.m.

    Both Cooley and Tat agree that one of the best parts about swimming is the people they meet.

    “[I like] the team aspect of it, like being able to spend so much time with my best friends and getting so much love and support from them,” Tat said.

    “[My favorite part] is the people,” Cooley said. “Whether they’re on my team or the other team, swimmers are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

    3:00 p.m.

    After school, the swim team meets again for afternoon swim practice at 3 p.m.

    “Afternoon practices are fun as long as it’s not a Monday,” Cooley said. “Monday is when we usually do distance workouts, and those are rough.”

5:30 p.m.

 Tat heads home after practice at about 5:30 p.m.

    “I go home, eat, and shower quickly, then get everything I need done in the most timely manner so I can get enough sleep,” Tat said. “You have to know how to prioritize.”

     10:30 p.m.

Tat finally heads to bed around 10 p.m. “I always shoot for nine, but with homework and practicing violin, it’s normally between 10 and 11 p.m.,” Tat said.

Terms to know:

Wolfpack: “[The nickname] shows that we are a family. Yes, it’s a funny play on [Coach Wolfred’s] last name, but we are really a family, a pack. We stick together and stick up for each other,” Cooley said.

     “[The name] started around eight years ago,” swimming Coach Richard Wolfred said. “It’s a good rallying cry for the team to gather around.”

Dryland practice: “We normally warm up with an 8-10 minute run, then stretch and do ab work-outs, some sprints, and then we go to the weight room to do some weight training with Coach J,” Tat said.