Another Last Chance

We were in a hurry. I had less than an hour before the race and we were still stuck in Melbourne CBD traffic. Breathe. Sigh. My dad tried to get us through the gridlocked streets surrounding Albert Park. We were going to be late. Breathe in, breathe out. The roads displayed on my phone were all lit up in red. That was not a good sign. I could feel my heart rate rising and rising as the minutes go by, still stationary. But for every inch we crept closer, there would be at least fifty cars in front of us. At this rate, it would take us half an hour to get to the pool at MSAC. Our coach Paul was already there, on pool deck waiting for us. Luckily, I had found a route. It was a longshot, but somehow we made it in time for the warmup. 30 minutes later, I was ready to swim my race, 100 meters breaststroke. It was my bread and butter. Just as I was about to enter marshalling, my dad handed me some banana bread and wished me good luck. My coach told me earlier that this was my last chance to qualify for nationals in Sydney. We all knew how important this was going to be. Breathe in, breathe out. I was now on the block to swim my race.

The loud but distant signal went off and I swam. But I didn’t swim fast enough, because afterwards, I knew I wasn’t going to Sydney. All hope seemed lost. It was then about five minutes later that my coach told me there was a competition next Friday, here at MSAC. Another last chance. It was 10 AM on Friday, the 6th of April, one week later. I had woken up, tired and full of stress about my race tonight. Will I make it? What if I don’t? Do I really want to go to Sydney? I could not stop thinking about it, and I also felt the urge to eat. So I got out of bed, walked across the hallway to the lounge. But as I entered through the open doorway, a strong, tasty aroma filled the room. I knew this was going to be a great start to my day. “Morning!” I said cheerfully. “Good morning Anton”, mum replied. “Ready for your big race today?” “Yep”, I said. “All I need to do now is just pack my gear, then I’m all set.” “Great! But before you do that, you should have your breakfast. I made your favourite, bacon and eggs.” She said in excitement. “Wow! Thanks mum”, I said. “You’re welcome.” Mum was right, bacon and eggs were my favourite for breakfast. Twenty minutes pass and I already finished the delightful meal. I could feel my spirits lifting as I became happier and more confident about my race. I brushed my teeth with a smile and started to relax so I could try and relieve the stress from my head. Eventually, after a few episodes on Netflix, I started to get ready; packing my bag and food for the competition. We left home at about 3 o’clock in order to counter the heavy traffic that was awaiting us this afternoon in Melbourne on our way to MSAC. MSAC is deep within the heart of Melbourne. It’s a towering structure located in Albert Park beside a lake that reflects the sun’s light during daytime and in summer becomes the landscape of the Grand Prix.

The dome overhanging the outdoor pool and the grand stands facing down towards you really make you realize how small you are in this big world. It can be quite overwhelming when you think about it, how the vibe and excitement from the crowds of people can put tremendous pressure on you. But you have to deal with it, because no matter what, it’s not going anywhere. Almost two hours into the drive and we headed down ‘the straight’ in the park. During the preparation of the Grand Prix, the track is still a public road. However, the barriers and overpasses are already in place. It was like driving in the actual Grand Prix. I wonder how race car drivers handle their pressure, fears and hopes. It was now time to swim my race. I had already done warmup in the crowded lanes of the indoor pool with my club while the other, older competitors overtook us with serious looks on their faces, thinking how important this competition was. It may also be their last chance. Before I left for marshalling, my coach Paul and I had a chat about my event. He said: “Look Anton, this is your race, your opportunity. I’ve done my part, now you have to do yours, because you’re the person swimming the race. It’s your decision how badly you want to go there and I know you’re going to make the qualifying time. Do know why?” “Why?” I asked. “Because I believe you can do it.” He said. “You’ve trained hard over the past few weeks. You’ve come to every session. We’ve focused on your technique and stroke. You can do it. Now get down there and do your best. Believe.” I was now on pool deck, walking across to the blocks as I thought about what my coach said. “This is your race, your opportunity”, “you’re the person swimming the race”, “believe.” I knew what I had to do. The previous race was still happening. I did some stretches and jumps to warm my muscles up. I was now ready to swim. The long whistle was blown. I stepped onto the block in lane 6, like a cat ready to pounce. The official prepared the signal and said: “Take your marks.” A short pause followed as the arena went silent. “Beep!” And I was off. With each new stroke, I felt more and more adrenaline rushing through my veins.

My pace was accelerating as I drew my feet through the piercing water, kick after kick. I turned over to my second lap, 50 meters to go. My stroke started to get a little sloppy towards the end but I managed to correct it and kept advancing. With half a lap left, I took a quick glance across the pool. I was second or third. My heart rate was nonstop. Past the flags, I was scared, but I had to keep going, no matter how tired I was, because I had to finish my race. This mattered the most. I gave the last remaining strokes all my might. Finally, I had finished. The time was now displayed on the scoreboard. I glanced at the list, searching for my name. There it was, glowing in white LED lights. Anton Risch, 1:16.30, half a second under the national time. I was so happy, because at that moment, I knew, I had made it. I was going to nationals. THE END. (Word count and reflection are on next page.) (Word count: 1154) Reflection: My story, Another Last Chance, is based on an image of me ferociously swimming breaststroke in one half while the other is MSAC, late at night during the competition. I chose this image because it represented this significant moment in my life, qualifying for nationals in Sydney. This image can be interpreted in many ways, but, to me, it is how I see myself swimming that race.

The reader should be able to see how the image has inspired me to write a short story full of suspense and emotion in a charming but also extravagant way shown from my facial expression during the race in the image. After selecting my image, I started to think about the plot and decided on setting my story to be set in three different locations because they are important to me in real life. Home, the Grand Prix track and MSAC. In regards to the genre, I decided to write it about sports because I swam at nationals this year and knew it would be a great follow up story towards that moment. I wanted myself, the main character to tell the story so it could be more engaging to the reader as I embark on this short journey. Before I started writing, I decided that I wanted the overarching idea of my story to be about achievement, because it’s about what leads up to it I find so interesting, across any topic. During the writing process, I focused on creating an engaging and interesting piece by using a number of different literary devices such as metaphors. I particularly like the motif “Breathe in, breathe out” as it illustrates the immense pressure and stress I was under during the prologue of my story. At times, I struggled with the plot but managed to craft an interesting story by experimenting with the overall structure of the narrative, resulting in me finding a plot that suited my story. Ultimately, I aimed to create a piece that readers would find interesting and with meaning. I also hoped to leave them with the moral that in order to succeed, we must believe that we can.