Last Saturday (April 15) Emilie came back home from a swimming camp organized by the Finnish Swimming Association. The team – consisting of 10 girls (aged 14 – 15) and 10 boys (aged 15 – 16) -spent a couple of days in Piraeus before continuing to Loutraki, approximately 80 km west of Athens, where the camp itself was held. The reason why they spent some days in Piraeus was the Multination Swimming Competition, where only one swimmer from each country was allowed to represent their country in each event. The other one (or the other ones) taking part out of competition only. Unfortunately, Emilie was competing only out of competition, which, on one hand, was comprehensible, since she has not been doing fine neither inside nor outside the pool lately. On the other hand, it is hardly motivating to take part in a competition where you know on beforehand that whatever you achieve you are and will be OOC.
The main purpose of the camp was to practise how it feels to live like an elite swimmer. The schedule was as follows:
5.50 am wake-up
6.10 am breakfast
6.30 am departure by bus to the swimming pool
6.40 am dryland
7.00 – 9.00 am swimming
9.15 am departure back to the hotel
9.25 am breakfast
10.00 – 11.30 (or 12.00) am rest at the hotel
11.30 (or 12.00) am – 12.30 pm lunch
12.30 – 13.10 pm rest at the hotel
13.20 pm departure by bus to the swimming pool
13.30 pm dryland
14.00 – 16.00 pm swimming
16.15 pm snack
16.30 – 17.30 pm dryland
17.30 pm return back to the hotel
18.30 – 19.30 pm dinner
20.00 pm mobiles put away
20.30 pm silence
21.00 pm – 5.50 am sleep
Emilie Pärnänen 