I walked across the deck to where my friend Beth was sitting and set my stuff down there. After that I got ready for my teams warmups. I was getting my cap and goggles on when my other friend Paige asked me, “Hey Juliana, are you ready for our relay?” I didn’t know how to respond, was I supposed to say ‘No, I am so scared’? But, I ended up saying “Yes! I’m so excited!” The meet took forever and my event was one of the last so I just sat there making small talk with my relay team as my stomach was churning with fear. I thought everyone could see how much I was shaking but I guess not because everyone thought I was really pumped and completely ready...which I wasn’t! I felt out of place with all the swimmers who had swam for years and were amazing. But, my team and coaches helped me feel welcome. Right after our halftime practice the head coach came up to me and said “Jules, you’re going to do really great. I know this is your first year swimming and you may be nervous, but you’ll do great!” After hearing that I felt so much better, I was getting excited. As the hours past I was getting impatient, I just wanted to get in the water! I was finally getting over how anxious I was, my nerves were settling