Chloe Lai, senior
Q: What’s the most difficult part about playing two sports in one season?
A: Having to regularly miss practices is the most difficult because we practice from 3:30pm to 5pm for track and swim practice is from 3:15pm to 5:30pm, so there’s a time conflict. Right now, I’m going to track from 3.30pm to 5pm, then I go to swim club after track practice. So my practice hours are a little hectic.
Q: Has playing both sports benefited you?
A: I’ve been cross training with my good friend Erin Gao, and I think that doing track really benefits swimming because it allows me to work on my leg strength. In the same way, my endurance and lung work from swimming has helped with running as well.
Q: What’s your favorite part about swimming and track?
A: I’ve been swimming for so long that sometimes it feels repetitive, especially since the sport itself is a little repetitive sometimes. But I think it’s nice when you drop time, even if they’re just hundredths of a second, or it’s easier to go through the water with less effort because your muscles are adapting. A huge part of swimming, like with any sport, is my teammates because I’ve bonded with so many of them. You build these friendships and I think you look forward to practice mainly because you get this experience with your teammates.
I’m still relatively new to track but I’m already very grateful for it, especially since everyone is so supportive! Also because you’re not underwater all the time, it’s easier to interact with people from all grades, not just athletes exclusively your speed, in your lane. I just needed to try something new, so pursuing this is like a breath of fresh air for me.
Q: How do you balance your daily schedule, with HW, extracurriculars and family time?
A: I’m just the kind of person that needs a busy schedule. At one point in junior year, I was working two jobs, about 20 hours a week on top of water polo and swimming in a season. I like having things to do, it’s a bad habit, honestly. For now, during 7th period, I have to finish as much of my homework as possible and then I go to practice, come back for dinner, and I finish studying for tests or writing essays. If you don’t have distractions, it’s actually relatively easy to finish everything. On the weekends, I can catch up on the rest and plan for the week ahead.
As for family time, our family is more on the busy side. There’s definitely time for us together but it’s mostly on the weekends. After practice, I can usually run home and make dinner for them so we have a bit of time to chat and catch up. Usually on the weekdays it’ll be dinner time when we can really get together. On the weekends, we go out for lunch.
Q: Do you have any advice for anyone who is interested in playing 2 sports in 1 season?
A: It’s an ambitious choice to pursue. You have to know what you’re getting yourself into beforehand. A lot of my friends and family did say that you have to consider the toll it’s going to take on your body and your health besides the time you invest. Besides the obvious, if you’re going to commit to two sports, you need to make sure that you can give your 100 percent to both, because there are a lot of people that are accommodating for you. Coaches are working really hard through this. My coaches and teams have definitely been very supportive and you really don’t want to let them down, you know?
I think that it’s quite common to feel sore and maybe overexerted in the beginning of the season. But if you take care of yourself, warm up, make sure your muscles recover properly, gradually your body will adapt. Your diet is so vital as well, even though it’s commonly overlooked. Plus as long as you’re getting enough sleep, you should be good to go!