Even though she did her best and tried really hard, she couldn’t swim all four laps in a row.  By the time she completed her second lap and was about to start her third, her muscles were burning and she could barely move them an inch. Her mind told her to keep going but her body gave in. She failed the swim test. Treading water and elementary backstroke was simple but she couldn’t make it to the fourth lap.  Disappointed, she gathered her belongings and contemplated what she could’ve done to pass. Not discouraged by the failure, she decided that she just had to try harder.  The next test was soon and she couldn’t just sit and do nothing. Summer break hasn’t ended yet, so she practiced every day till late July. Day after day, all she did was swim. She practically lived in the water and would always leave the pool with a sore body and wrinkled fingers – the ones you get after staying in water for a long time. Some improvement was shown in the past vigorous weeks. Making each stroke strong and smooth, she no longer looked like she was flailing in the water, but was instead dancing gracefully, like a fish. Swimming two laps was tiring, but as time passed, she was slowly able to approach three. 

    In the blink of an eye, the time for her next test had come. Her heart was pumping and she pinched her goggles together. Taking one final deep breath, she splashed into the water! To her surprise, she wasn’t tired until she reached the third lap! She just kept pushing herself until she had finally completed all four laps. Finally relieved, she just stretched her arms and legs enjoying the coolness of the water all around her.  As she stepped out of the pool, there was a smile on her face. She couldn’t smell the slightest whiff of failure. She passed the swim test!