#i was never too crazy abt the sports i was in but olympics makes me regret quitting a little bit

[just-another-obsessed-fangirl]

this might be only funny to me but apparently one of the things Carlos Yulo is gonna get for winning the Philippines 2 gold medals is a lifetime of free colonoscopies, but that only starts when he turns 45

[cheswirls]

a quick sum-up of che’s future career plans, bc reasons

im halfway through the dive!! anime show that came out this summer season, and i’m having a lot of thoughts, and plus i finished going through all the footage i missed today of skate america while i was at a bball game, and it’s made me realize different things i guess? 

it might be mid-long length so its going under a cut, but to gain intereststart off, this is all about my desire to be an athletic trainer for the usa olympic center at colorado springs, co !

ive been an at(now when you see that abb. you know what it means hah!! not assistant teacher hmm) student since my freshman year of high school, and i’ve loved it a whole bunch. back then i was set on going to columbia U for their writing program, and i wanted to major in graphic design afterwards/during/it wasnt super planned out i was a fr. i didnt know what bfa or mfa stood for yet. it wasnt until end of sophomore year than i thought about being an at for realsies.

but i also still loved gd. so there was a confliction there.

junior year i took a break from working volleyball in the fall and did my one and only year of football and it was terrible primarily bc the team i worked with didnt know how to function as a group and half the group were selfless bitch whores but like thats another storyyy, secondly bc i jus really discovered i didnt care abt football at all. it was mostly for the experience and i gained it and i liked it bc i hung out w a lot of people from helping out w varsity (i was one of two our of the five juniors that had been there since my fr year and was only on jv bc it was my first year w football, but one of the seniors had to work a bunch so when they needed an extra person i was the one w the most experience so i was w them a lot,) point was it was fun!!! and you have fun w ppl you like that you dont work w all the time and i shouldnt say fun bc lots of times it was awful,

basically! it was fun being w the varsity trainers which were the seniors and the other junior that had been around since fr year. volleyball was fun but it had always been a one-at-student-per-team sport , so it was different jus being w other ats that shared the same team and not the same sport(which in the us is made up of at least three different teams, a fr,jv,and varsity). it was a more open environment and so it inspired a lot of talk with the at grad students we had that semester (we got 3-4 every semester in a partnership w the D1 uni in town, it was always cool to hear stories from them!) and anyway i remember talking w a couple of the grads one practice and we were discussing all the different occupations athletic trainers could have, and what they wanted to work with in the future, and the topic veered towards professional sports and the olympics.

i thought it was really cool when we were talking about it, and then we got busy and it flew out of my mind. i dont remember when it came back and became a focus, but sometime before my senior year, i had decided i wanted to work at the olympic level.

real quick i mentioned gd and the struggle, so to bring that into focus, my junior year i took a whole bunch of different tech classes (gd&i, compsci, webtech) and in one of those, i had the opportunity to go to a ... i cant remember what the term was for it, but it was kinda an event for gd students and it had a little competition and stuff, and it was really fun! nd you got a lot of info abt the community college hosting it and i learned their program was really good, so the gd versus at internal struggle continued, and i remember talking to my sponsor teacher (she actually taught all three of my tech classes that year aaa i loved her) about how i didnt know what to do and shit and i dunno what she told me but like, i think she was trying to be encouraging but she basically said it was up to me, like she didnt try and nod me into a direction, that i can recall.

so SOMEHOW bc i honestly cannot remember, by senior year i’ve decided that im gonna jus fuck it and pick BOTH and double major in gd and athletic training. AND i had it all planned out, where i was gonna get a degree in gd and open up an online business, and then go into a masters program for at and then enter into the olympic field. 

by this point creative writing is still cool and a great hobby but i couldnt possibly double major AND have a minor that’d be too much. id still love to take a cw course tho one day.

basically a buncha crazy stuff happened that first semester but by winter break i had an acceptance letter to a uni a couple hours north of home with a good accredited undergrad program (accredited basically means you graduate w a masters in four years so its fasttracked which woulda been great but uh..) and by the time i found out that next semester that they were doing away with the accredited program i was already too emotionally invested to consider panic-switching(panic bc it was february and id already been admitted hah...) but i decided it’d be okay. basically if you dont remember/werent around one of my school’s head ats died in a car crash died around early october ‘16. she went to undergrad where i go now, and i’d talked to her about it september that semester wondering if she knew anything abt their program and uh surprise, she’d done the same program small world. after the funeral in november and a ton of thought i applied there. (november was.. crazy in general last year. rly crazy)

may was when i started adding on sports to the future olympics job, bc i started thinking about it and after finally getting a friend to watch yuri on ice, he started making his was through all of sochi’s figure skating stuff, and then the 2010 vancouver olympics, and i decided i wanted to recap a bit on that too.

the 2010 olympics was really my first experience with figure skating. i’m a west texas gal and so theres not a lot out here to get exposed to, so seeing these best-of-the-best class sports was fun, and the earliest experience i can remember of such. i was in fifth grade so i dont remember a ton, but i do remember being captivated by korea’s yuna kim, who won gold that year in fs. shes an fs legend at this point, so if you’re into figure skating and don’t know who she is, go look her up. you wont be disappointed.

in 2012 was the london olympics. i remember a lot from it, like watching the opening ceremony with my parents and seeing the queen jump out of a helicoptor(which is like,, still cool to this day wow) and being fascinated my michael phelps and all the swimming he did so grandly. it was also my first real exposure to diving. the oldest i could recall anything abt the sport was at a pizza hut somewhere.. in town i think, and i was w my best friend at the time and my mom was there so i think maybe we were on the way back from the lake??? sounds right, i think. and we were talking abt how i always held my nose when i went underwater bc i didnt know how to not get water all up my nostrils and be underwter(and i still dont to this day aha) and she mentioned like, joining a diving team would be cool! would help me get over it and all! and i like recalling it dunno what she was talking abt bc we lived in dirt city nothing so i highly doubt there was or is any sort of diving sport happening. swimming, yeah maybe, there were lessons at pools and bodyworks areas around town, competitive teams im not sure tho, but not diving like at all so??? dunno.

so my next and technically first real experience with it was watching the london olympics. and i thought, wow, this is so neat!! i watched from that one day like the opening events, and i think i was old enough to search online like yea i had a laptop by then so i looked up the schedule for the things i wanted to see most of, and i ended up watching i think most of the diving events (i missed a couple for.. archery, i think? maybe?) and absolutely loving it. iunno what it was, maybe something i never thought i could do?(bc not hold my nose?? while i dove???????? scaryy) but i enjoyed it a bunch.

i was older when sochi was a thing, my 8th grade year. i was able to appreciate things a lot more. when i tuned into events, tony hawk and snowboarding were the main focus, but figure skating was on a lot as well. i had a tv in my room by that point, so if i didnt like what was playing on the main tv, i could go watch another event. i learned a lot of names and faces through that, and so while my bff was watching it our senior year if i was with him id point out skaters and their nationalities and stuff, like yuzuru hanyus always been a modern day household name w figure skating, but i leanred abt him BECAUSE of the sochi olympics, and he was one of the ones i’ve never forgotten. i really really liked it, so much that i watched worlds after, and around the same time my fr year, i tuned in to just the worlds championship again. i didn’t pick up trying to watch grand prix(which is their regular season, for those unaware) season until my junior year, and most of it was day-or-two-late videos from youtube, since the ice channel i think it a paid-for thing (i still dont know much abt it hah) and nothing was on tv otherwise, aside from the skate america event. but since that first time after sochi, ive always been around watching worlds fs near the beg of each year. i’d familiarized myself by senior year with the fs world, and actually,

early (i think march?) of my junior year, i searched up trying to find a figure skating anime at the time. and what did i find?? ginban, the only figure skating anime at the time. i watched like maybe all of one episode, it was abt a girl who shared her body w the ghost of a former figure skater while she was competing in events, and it was.. okay? lackluster, in the animation dept, but it was a 2005 show so.. yeah.

so after that i was like kk that wasnt good lets find another. and i didnt. not yet, anyway. instead, i found an announcement for violet evergarden’s animated adaptation, and yuri on ice, a realistic adaptation of the sport of figure skating. thats bolded bc its important. i found that shit abt yoi before it even had a promo poster, certainly before the pv came around that got everyone hyped up. i found it bc i was looking for figure skating in the first place. in fact, i think when the pv came out and got popular, i didnt even relate it to the upcoming fs anime i’d read about previously. it took me a bit to connect the dots. 

watching yuri on ice at the same time as the gp 2016 season was surreal, but really interesting. i got my bff into it before the second to last episode came out, and i only remember that bc he finally showed any interest when he found something on twitter abt it being gay (newsflash/// hes gay, and before yoi his fav show was no6 bc that was as close as it got. he still rly likes it, we both do, but his solid favc is now definitely yoi. representation matters and all) and was like well now i HAVE to watch it and i was all yes it ends soon so pls. and he watched it twice in a weekend, and thrice before the finale came out, and then a few more times after that, iunno how many times but certainly more thn i have(i went back after the .. maybe ep 10? w/e ending had the after party reveal that changed everything, so i went back to analyze everything before the next ep) and between the week of 11 and finale 12, he started watching the sochi fs competition, and then the 2010 after the show ended w ep 12. 

seeing this great fs show and getting a friend into the world of figure skating really renewed my love for it all. before the semester went out i went back and watched the reruns of the sochi fs stuff. and by may i’d decided i wanted to cosider that to be the sport i worked with.

with diving, it took a similar twist. in the form of the rio 16 olympics. i was all over that shit, i downloaded an nbc app on my phone so i could watch events live while i traveled with volleyball to a tournament in dallas and while i was at practice w them at home and generally jus away from the house and a tv. i planned that shit out had a schedule and everything for what i was watching live, and a lot of it was swimming, but a whoooole lot of live stuff was the diving. 

in the hotel room in dallas the tv would always be on to w/e olympics events were airing at the time, either track or diving tho, one or the other, or recaps. quite a few girls ended up in the room in the evening and we’d all do stuff and watch in passing at the same time, and it was suuuuuper fun. watching the chinese women perform flawlessly and walk away w all the gold was fun, but finding a good commentator to actually say such was a disheartening challenge( one of the most memorable moments w live commentary that year was hearing a woman say of one of the chinese ladies that she’d done better before, after they revealed her personal best score ever like rly cmon be unbiased and jus passionate abt the sport youre covering pls.

ive always been super fond of the diving scene. it may not be as much as fs, but honestly, i wish i grew up in an area w a diving team now, or wish i could try it out now, bc thats how much fun it seems. i still wanna go up to the big city like 30min away from uni and learn to ice skate in the civic center there, but hands down if i had to pick a sport to join tomorrow or die i’d pick diving. 

so also by may, and throughout the culmination of senior year, diving was the second sport on the olympic to-train-for list. you get a five-year contract w the olympics, now i think it’s usa as a whole and i think its by center so say, if i get a job in colorado springs i cant apply in another five years to chula vista or even like lake placid, but iunno for sure. the five-year thing is involved somehow bc i’ve heard it from a physical therapist and trainer-that-works-in-a-sports-med-clinic duo in one body named sarah, who’s been contracted out from the clinic by my high school since junior year also, bc she knows people who’ve worked w the olympics, and then another from church that worked w olympics that knows my family uh iunno how well but i know of him, i think he also works in the clinic as some sort of on-hand surgeon but a diff person than who sarah knew. so its five years somehow and then i’ll take my bfa in gd and open my online business and do that from a studio at home and look after my owl/cat pet combo.

since may, it had been ‘olympics, with either figure skating or diving’. and it stayed that for a long time. now, since a couple weeks ago, and this is again while gp season is happening for fs, its diving. i wanna work w the usa olympic diving team as their team athletic trainer, and i cant do it this summer bc i have to have completed two years of uni, instead of a certain standing, like be a junior, but so NEXT summer, before my senior year of uni, (i came in a sopho so 6 sem only ah) i’m applying for an internship at the center in colorado springs, and that’s the team i hope i work with. 

now i tell people, diving, but if i get offered figure skating, i’ll take it, but diving is the goal now. if i love it and wanna continue professionally, great, i can do that and have an online gd shop. and if i decide i want something different? i’ll work olympics and then join w a professional-level figure skating i actually dunno how it works. coach, and their skater in turn. coach, with multiple skaters under them. a culmination of diff usa skaters. w/e, something in the professional fs world.

and thats uh, thats it! dive has been so much fun to watch, and i realize i talk a lot on here about working w basketball and being an at student in general and the vast majority have no idea what i mean, so hopefully this clarifies. thank you!!

[ariesmon]

bts as swimmers

idk if i’ll make this a series but shinee and bts were the two i was thinking abt so here we r

Jin

stroke : butterfly and back (have u seen this boys back good lord ppl were begging him to join the team)

events : 100 fly and 100 back

has okay stamina but works best in short bursts of power (which is also why he leads any relays he’s in)

ultimate Team Mom we all knew this was coming

hosts and organizes pasta parties, team bonding and fundraisers u name it he’s hosting it

also in charge of any emergency care (icing shoulders, stretches, massaging cramps etc)

fiercely defensive of his team and refuses to let ANY drama start “what happens outside the pool stays outside the pool”

always goes to morning practice but hates it

tells his lane buddies bad jokes 24/7 and they have become immune to them

takes carb loading to the extreme

Yoongi

stroke : diver and breast

event : diving and 100 breast and medley relay

hes really lazy during practice but during meets he gives 110% and scares the shit out of the other swimmers and divers bc hes here executing perfect half pikes without breakin a SWEAT

takes 20 min bathroom breaks to escape practice and eat a snack

but also stays up all night watching olympic diving and taking notes on how to improve his form

is always tired and smells like chlorine and his hair is dead

jimin had to buy him that fancy shampoo that prevents blond hair from turning green bc otherwise he could not bother to buy it

wears exclusively the team sweats not rly bc he has school pride but they’re cozy

never shows up to morning practice

likes to bully the freshman to show affection (and he hates doing lane lines)

Hoseok

stroke : free and I.M. (sprint)

event : 200 IM, 100 free, 200 free

amazing stamina and one of the star swimmers

takes ALL of the freshman under his wing 

the Underwater God (can hold his breath for insane amounts of time like jimin and kook)

amazing form esp with dives like the refs are just in awe

somehow manages to be ruthless and an angel at the same time

always so happy at every practice even the god awful 5 am dryland ones

surprises the team + coach with cookies on the last day of practice

loves hard sets

basically the team’s good luck charm and guardian angel

Namjoon

stroke : back and free (have u seen how tall this boy is)

event : 200 free, 400 free, anything involving back, does well with distance and sprint but only with these two strokes

does well with back and free but once damn near killed a freshman bc he kicked them in the head while doing breast so now he is not allowed to choose breast of fly for choice when the pool is crowded

team dad 

wears his parka outside of swimming sometimes bc its on trend rn

actually incredibly hard worker and stays after practices to talk to the coach abt how to improve his form and cut time and takes everything to heart

in charge of the team’s finances and also the suits for the next year

teaches freshman how to set up for meets (the stop boards, lane lines, flag etc)

also teaches rly scared newbies how to dive off the blocks and not belly flop bc he knows how scary it is

the biggest team supporter he loves his team so much and constantly gives the little pick me ups esp after a bad race

seems to survive off protein bars?? how

also always injures himself with lane lines and once broke his nose with a kickboard

Jimin

stroke : breast and IM (part of the IM trio)

events : anything breast and 200 IM 

has decent stamina for IM but not enough for 400 but can swim a 500 breast if he needs too

hobi and him have the best underwaters im talkin can go the length of the pool without coming up for air

also has amazing form??? like his fly is just so beautiful 

BEAUTIFUL STARTS AND PULLOUTS U DONT UNDERSTAND

makes sure the team is well fed and everyone has a lil bit of a crush on him lbr

the only one that actually eats healthy at pasta parties

has adorable charms on his swim bag n is constantly getting compliments on them

his skin is never dry??? how??

helps with warmup stretches and set up lane lines

the team insists on buying speedos bc have u seen those thighs???

has a soft spot for the freshman and always is encouraging them esp before big races

Taehyung

stroke : breast (sprint)

events : 100, 200 breast

decent stamina but his starts are always strongest so he’s often in the strongest relays

the Team Meme

always stuck on lane duty bc he is a freshman at heart

whips ppls butts with towels

but actually takes practice seriously like he’s putting in effort bc he wants to improve his technique and form

loves swimming with fins on bc he can go REAL fast and also likes to feel like a mermaid

his bangs are always falling out of his cap please help him

recruits all of the newbies bc who can say no to that face

somehow manages to get coach to laugh at his shitty jokes

always knows when someone is going thru tough times and gives them hugs and a snack bc sometimes u just need reassurance and a clif bar

has fallen asleep in his parka more than once

Jungkook

stroke : distance IM (just like Minho smh)

event : jack of all trades im not joking this kid is crazy everyone loves him and is highkey jealous

stamina up there with hoseok and jimin like he swims 1000 and its nothin for him

coach’s pet 

he was scouted by so many other sports but he chose swimming bc his hyungs were in it and he had to show that he could beat them at their own game (that and he actually rly likes swimming)

“c’mon guys this set isn’t that hard!!” “SHUT THE FUCK UP KOOK”

takes meets very seriously and even has a pre-meet playlist he listens to every time

his swim bag is a mess theres so many caps in there and granola bars and just dont even try okay

the one thing he cant do : cap himself and jimin and tae literally never let this go

he seems like he would eat healthy bc he drinks a ton of protein shakes but nah he’s stuffing oreos in his face on the downlow before every practice

shows up to morning practice ready to go all bright eyed and bushy tailed and even the coach is looking at him like he’s just sprouted a tail

always on lane duty bc he is still the Baby of the team and he hates it

has those cool hand paddles he never used them he just thinks they look cool

a seems like a natural but puts in a lot of extra practice and wants to make his team proud