The Last Lap

At the annual swimming carnival, Camila stood behind the blocks for the final freestyle race. She had practised her turns for weeks, but the crowd’s cheering made the pool seem louder than usual. Beside her, Sofia bounced on her toes. Nia, who had finished her race earlier, waved from the stands with a handmade sign that read, “Keep going!” When the whistle blew, Camila pushed off hard. She was in second place by the first turn. As she reached the wall, she remembered her coach’s advice: bend into a tight tuck, place both feet against the wall, and drive away from it. Her turn was quick, and she surged forward. Halfway down the pool, Camila noticed Sofia had moved ahead. Camila felt her arms growing tired. For a moment, she thought about slowing down. Then she heard Nia’s voice above the crowd. Camila focused on the black line beneath her and kept her strokes steady. At the final wall, Sofia touched first. Camila arrived just a moment later. She had not won, but she climbed out smiling. “That turn really helped,” Sofia said. Camila nodded. She was proud that she had kept going when the race became difficult. On the way back to her seat, Nia handed her the sign. Camila laughed: “I think I’ll keep this for next year.”