Sport Swap: Ballet versus swimming

The music begins. I can feel the beat echoing through my body. My feet are pointed, enveloped in dainty pink ballet slippers. I breathe in through my nose, allowing the oxygen to travel through my body. I then exhale through my mouth, blowing a small wind into the otherwise static dance floor. As the music introduction ends, I hear the instructor count me off, “Five, six, seven, eight…” I step ...

Before I start this article, I would like to formally thank Sarah Strubbe for going along with my crazy idea, and being a great sport about it.   In one of my crazy 3 A.M. thoughts, it dawned on me how difficult it would be to start a new sport at this age. Obviously, there were exceptions of prodigal athletes like acclaimed ballerina Misty Copeland, who didn’t begin her ballet training until...