How Competitive Swimming Shapes Character

Courtesy: Dr. David Manolo Sailer

This article takes some aspects from David’s recent book, “Strenuous” (or in German: “Schonungslos”), which he co-authored with  Jan Kerkmann. You can find the book here.

With the Olympics approaching, the world will once again look at swimming as the most-watched sport of the Games. Personal triumphs and disasters share the stage, with the weight of the world resting on the athletes’ shoulders. Sometimes, only hundredths of a second separate swimmers. Yet, the lessons learned at the highest level of competition – similar to the lessons every competitive swimmer learns through years of training and racing  – last a lifetime.

If you’re like me, then friends, relatives, and even job interviewers will ask you, “So what did you learn from competitive sports? From a lifestyle of athleticism?” Oftentimes, we will answer with something like: discipline and perseverance, friendship, and also resilience. But beneath some of these buzzwords, what are the actual lessons learned? How does competitive swimming shape character?

Together with a team of former elite athletes – Olympians, European Champions, World and Olympic medalists from various sports – as well as leading scientists from Europe and Canada, we explored that very question in our new book: What’s the benefit of competitive sports – and what are the lessons learned for one’s own way of life? Here are my top seven key takeaways from what we’ve encountered both as (elite) athletes and as scientists. Hope you’re ready for some “poolside philosophy”.

1. Balancing Goals and Mental Health: Competitive swimming teaches us that while goals are crucial, they shouldn’t define our entire identity. Yes, dream big. But don’t make dreams your master. It’s important to remember to enjoy life – and oneself – outside of the pool.
2. Discipline and Self-Choice: The discipline developed through swimming is more than just a routine; it’s a strategic approach to life. Choosing to push yourself builds character and strength, showing that performance, endurance and success go hand in hand.
3. Flow State and Focus: Swimming can help us tap into a state of flow where we are fully immersed and “in control”. This focus can be achieved consistently with the right mental training, allowing us to excel both in and outside of the water.
4. Resilience and Comebacks: Every setback in swimming is a setup for a greater comeback. Accepting defeat is step one for learning from it, and bouncing back stronger – thinking about defeats like that can be a powerful tool that builds true resilience.
5. Following a Personal Code: This stoic resilience involves adhering to a “personal code” even in the face of adversity. For athletic commitment represents the highest form of self-autonomy, since you follow your own set of choices and rules. And that very commitment to self-imposed rules helps in maintaining discipline, achieving goals, and mastering oneself.
6. Understanding and Embracing Pressure: Swimming teaches us to thrive under stress. The intense environment of training and competition helps us develop the ability to perform under pressure, a skill that’s invaluable in all areas of life.
7. Holistic Connection and Synchrony: Achieving a state of alignment, where our mind and body work in harmony – and we’ve examined this from a neuroscientific perspective to understand what really happens in our brains during high-pressure moments – enhances our connection to the sport and the world around us. This holistic approach helps in understanding and achieving peak performance as well as training our minds.

Swimming shapes our character by constantly challenging us and testing our limits. It teaches us determination, resilience, and the importance of maintaining performance through repetitive processes, helping us grow stronger in life’s journey. At the same time, we all know those moments when we feel we can’t go on, not because we’ve lost, but because we’re overwhelmed by our own goals. Strive forward, but don’t let this relentless pursuit of excellence “get to you” seems to be the best course of action. Finding balance between pushing your own limits while preserving your well-being is key. Mental health has gained significant attention in recent years, and rightly so. For the autonomy achieved through athletic commitment fosters a unique blend of discipline and freedom, sculpting not just athletes but strong individuals. And while these are just some of life’s laps, how have you experienced competitive swimming shaping character?

ABOUT DR. DAVID MANOLO SAILER

David Sailer has been a competitive swimmer for over 17 years – starting at the age of 6, he learned to swim in a heated seawater pool at the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). With the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens having a profound impact on the young man, he joined one of the then best swimming clubs nationwide. As a nationally top-ranked age grouper, he specialized on the short-to-mid butterfly and freestyle distances – most notably the 100 and 200 fly as well as the 400 free, where he achieved ranks in the European Top-100 (at Junior age group level) –, later becoming a multiple state and (youth) national champion in his home country of Austria. With the water never completely letting go of him, he graduated summa cum laude with a PhD at age 26. Today, he conducts research and publishes on various philosophical subjects. His new book “Schonungslos” (“Strenuous”) – which forms the basis of this article – was published in May 2024 just in time for the Olympic Games in Paris.