Do you have swimming sports day every year at your school? Do you ever participate (or is it compulsory) and what do you get?

Now my answers...

Yes, we have swimming sports every year. We have swimming sports split into two days, first day = swimming heats, second day = finals + open heats.

Swimming sports, 25m freestyle is compulsory for year 7-10 which was all right because every event you participated in got you 1 house point. I'm not that fast, but if I didn't try hard enough to stop myself from swimming too fast, I could always secure a place in the final.

We have things called "houses" at my school which divides everyone into a different-coloured "house" and let's call my house "S/Blue". Throughout the year the people in my house have to gain as many points as possible so that S/Blue can beat the other five houses.

Last year (when I was in year 11), they decided that every senior (year 11-13*) would earn 2 house points for every event they participated in, so I forcefully dragged myself to participate in three events (25m - backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle). I'm really bad at breaststroke (my fastest time is almost five seconds slower than my younger sister) but although butterfly's easier for me, it's way too tiring. As I don't do competitive swimming anymore (that was 5-6 years ago now) and for the past few years, the only times I've been in a pool were for swimming sports, I elected to do the non-champ (it was the obvious choice). Then, I realised there was a final, even for the non-champ (senior) swimmers. I was really upset, 'cause that meant missing even more class time.

This year, I got in again, for all of them (even for breastroke!). I tried to swim slower because I don't think you get house points for being in the final. Anyway, I was the only year 12 in all of the non-champ finals (the others were year 13) and no, I don't know them very well. Eugh, my results weren't bad (1st freestyle, 3rd backstroke, last/6th breaststroke).

I was a pretty good swimmer in primary and year 7, but after year 8...I grew outwards. Still, I get forced into doing the house relay every year and...the last swimmer, so all the pressure's on me usually. I'm seriously not that fast (top 10-15 out of 170 - there's quite a few competitive swimmers in my year) = = and totally unfit, so I wish that non-champ finals didn't exist.

Eugh, and although all I did was 3 x 25m + 25m (relay) = 100m of swimming, all of the muscles in my body ache.

Thank God it's over. I was really depressed for the last two days. T_____T
xah

*P.S: We start a year early than most other countries, so consider year 13 like year 12 or whatever is the final year considered at your high school.