Who
Do
You
Swim
For?
Champion
swimmers
train
every
day
and
swim
at
meets
because
it is
their
OWN
personal
ambition.
No-one
else's,
just
their
own.
Sure,
it's
also
nice
to
win
for
other
people,
such
as
parents,
coach
or
friends,
but
if
these
other
people
became
the
MAIN
reason
why
they
trained
everyday,
they
simply
would
NOT
succeed,
it's
as
simple
as
that.
If
these
swimmers
do
achieve
some
results,
it
would
only
be
through
sacrificing
something
far
more
important,
such
as
happiness
in
their
own
life.
This
is a
major
point,
because
regularly
I see
swimmers
becoming
disillusioned
with
their
swimming
because
they
feel
that
they
are
striving
for
goals
which
are
not
their
own,
but
someone
else's.
Often
these
swimmers
feel
pressured
to
perform,
and
often
feel
'guilty'
at
the
very
thought
of
changing
their
goals
to
something
they
might
actually
want
(such
as
changing
events,
meets,
or
even
having
a
break)
- all
because
they
feel
emotionally
responsible
to
keep
someone
else
happy.
The
bottom
line
is
this
- you
cannot
succeed
unless
you
enjoy
what
you
are
doing.
This
is
NOT
to
say
that
you
have
to
enjoy
every
single
moment
(there'll
always
be
some
areas
which
may
not
be
enjoyable),
but
the
overall
reason
why
you
get
out
of
bed
in
the
morning
must
be
because
you
are
happy
with
what
you
are
doing.
This
is
actually
a
major
principle
which
applies
to
'life'
as
well
as
swimming
- you
must
either
enjoy
it,
or find
a way
to
enjoy
it -
if
you
wish
to
succeed.
No-one
else's
motivation
will
ever
be
enough
to
keep
you
going,
you
must
have
the
motivation
inside
you
already.
All
champions
are
self-motivated,
driven
people,
they
know
what
they
want
and
they
go
after
it - and
they
would
never,
ever
bother
trying
to
accomplish
something
that
did
not
motivate
them,
not
even
if
their
best
friend
wanted
them
to do
it.
This
is
because
they'd
know
that
it
would
be a
simple
waste
of
their
time
and
energy.
It's
important
to
swim
for
yourself,
and
no-one
else.
Because
this
is
only
kind
of
motivation
which
will
succeed,
or be
for
your
own
benefit.
Once
again,
it is
always
NICE
to
win
for
other
people,
but
don't
make
them
your
focus
- or
it
will
steer
you
in
the
wrong
direction.
Always
follow
your
heart
and
do
what
makes
you
happy,
and
you
cannot
go
wrong.
"The
Mind
controls
the
body,
and
the
mind
is
unlimited".
The
best
of
success,
Craig
Townsend
"These
'Mind
Training
for
Swimmers'
tips
are
written
by
Craig
Townsend
from
It's
Mind
over
Matter,
who
runs
mental
training
programs
from
Sydney,
Australia.
You
can
subscribe
to
his
free
swim
tips
at
his
website
http://www.swimpsychology.com
or
send
an
email
to
subscribe@swimpsychology.com
Each
tip
is
Copyright
©
Craig
Townsend
and
is
fully
protected
by
Australian
and
International
Copyright
Laws."