Last Two Summers Joseph Austin Martinez

During the summer of 2011, I switched to a new club swim team with my best friend and we were motivated to push each other to faster times. That was also my second summer working at my dad’s office, so I was happy to have been given more responsibility. I charted the effects of medicines he was administering which helped his office run more effectively. Soon my days pleasantly fell into routine. I would head to practice at six in the morning, then eat breakfast with teammates, drive to work, and then go back to practice again until four in the afternoon. This routine enabled me to keep more focused. By the end of the summer, my best friend and I had achieved our goal of making the Olympic Trials cut. I had never been happier, and to make the cut with my best friend only made it sweeter.

The summer of 2012 started in the water. All my focus was directed towards training for the Olympic Trials in Omaha. I continued my routine from the previous summer. When the meet finally came in early July, I could not have been more prepared and was excited with my results. After the trials, I spent a long, relaxing weekend with a friend in upstate New York at the Finger Lakes. I was also able to see the musical Mary Poppins on Broadway. It...