Raleigh Round Island Challenge - Swim Assessment Update

Trying to keep a confident face on, I couldn't help but tremble as I started my warm-up session. Then, with the feeling of nervousness swirling around my system like a stabbed rat, I walked towards the pool and readied myself for the start.

It was time for our swim assessment, and god knows what challenge lied ahead. Not quite the actual round island challenge but the pressure is still on us to prove our worth on the team. Here we go.

The chill from the ice-cold pool shot up my spine like a bolt of lighting, for a moment my hands felt numb as if the blood from my very being is shying away from the task. At this point coach Hafiz had already blown his whistle several times, waving his hands, telling me to kick start the 2 kilometer course. So off I went, still trying to shake off the goosebumps. 

1 kilometer in, I was already feeling the fatigue in my thighs. I slowed down my pace, hoping the second kilometer was going to be easier. 

It wasn't.

By the time I have reached 1.5 kilometers I was constantly being overtaken by more capable swimmers, and my feet were at the brink of cramping up. But I seemed to have underestimated my willpower. Suppressing the agony in my shoulders and thighs, I finished the course in 45 minutes, a respectable time considering my swimming ability before I started training.

Well, it's about 2 weeks away from the big swim. Bring it on. 


Anonymous