Passion+Speech+DV

**How My Passions Impact the World...**
"To succeed, you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes reality." This quote by an unknown author tells us that passions can lead a person to their success. Passions can help everyone see what their potential is and how far their limits can reach. People's passions can be playing volleyball, discovering new music, or saving wildlife. There can be many different things that inspire us today. I have many passions, but the ones that I really care about is swimming. It shows who I really am inside and help me get through obstacles in life. My passions can also inspire others and help the world. Some people might think "How does swimming make a difference in the world?" They might be surprised at the answer. I didn't think it could make a difference until I talked to some of my teachers and my swim coach. They showed me the possibilities of how even the smallest things could make a big change in the world.

Swimming is my biggest passion. The reason I got into the sport is because of my older cousin. He would win awards and show them to me whenever I would go visit his family. I wanted to win medals just like him, but I did not want to get into the water, too! At the time, my parents had put me into Lafleur's Little Flipper Swim School at the age of 3. I really didn't want to go to school because I was afraid of drowning. It took a lot of convincing and little treats, especially ice cream and chocolate, to make me go into the water. After what seemed like forever to my parents, I was down in the pool for hours swimming. I moved on from Lafleur's and participated in the Westchase Little Flippers School when I was six years old. As years passed, I won medals and moved up level to level.

Today, I am currently in the Elite Swimmers Club, which is the highest ranking for the top seven swimmers. My rank is second place, right after my rival and best friend. He has been supporting and swimming with me since the first day at Lafluer's. I owe him a lot for pushing me this far. My parents, coaches, and my best friend have always believed that I had potential to push my limits over the edge. I hope that one day this will inspire others to follow their own sport dreams. Anything is possible as long as you and others believe in yourself. I had wanted to win big trophies, but that's not my reason for swimming anymore. I love to swim and I always will. Go out and try something new. I was truly inspired by cousin and wanted to follow in his footsteps as a swimmer. It will be hard at first, it'll become easier as you practice over and over again. So never give up on a sport you really want to play. It's difficult to wait, but it's even more difficult to regret not trying.

I swim to keep me healthy and active. It consumes most of my energy, but is proven to help your cardiovascular health and muscular endurance more than any other sport. The interval training is really effective in weight loss and strength training. It is like swimming two lengths of the pool as fast as you can, while keeping the proper form, then stop to catch your breath. It's repeated again. It sounds easy, but when you do it at least 50 to 75 times a day it's pretty hard. My friends always question me saying "How do you eat so much food and not get fat?", the answer's always the same. It's just because the more I swim, the more I have to eat. Ask any swimmer and they will say the same thing. Swimming also allows me to let my stress out that I mostly get from school. The cool, refreshing water helps me calm down and work it out.

So, how does my passion affect the world? I've been swimming for a very long time and my sports dream is to go to the Olympics and be like Missy Franklin. She's my swimming idol because, not only is she a four-time Olympic gold medalist, but she also broke two world records for the 200-meter (short course and long course) backstroke and 4x100 relay. Everyone watches the commercials during the Olympics and notices that most of the Olympic athletes advertise businesses. McDonald's raises the money earned by the advertisement and donates it to charity. I want to complete my dream and do good work for others.

I work hard and try my best with things I really care about. I hope that children or teens find their passion for a particular sport and follow it until they reach their goal. If I want to go to the Olympics, I'd better start practicing harder. Passions can change the world and push people to their limits. It starts out as a small activity or hobby until you realize you love it more than anything. Swimming is my biggest passion. I push myself and practice everyday to accomplish what I haven't yesterday. I forget about all my problems and stress when I swim to have no distractions. I want to become an Olympic athlete when I grow up and complete my dream. I have to believe that I be better than what I did before. Without a passion, no one's life is complete.

Reading is like dreaming with your eyes open.It is a way for me to enjoy stories that don't usually happen to me in real life. Stories could be about dragons, Greek and Roman gods, or a real life situation like survival and law. It helps me imagine that I'm apart of the book and that I can be the character.