In 2018-19, the Mountain East Conference began its "Dear Sport" initiative where student-athletes in the conference were encouraged to write a letter to their sport. The initiative provides the opportunity for student-athletes to express in their own words the impact that sports has played in shaping them throughout their lives.
Click here to view all letters posted throughout the year.
Below is a letter from Arthur Brilhante a swimmer at Fairmont State.
Dear Swimming,
I don’t know if I’m able to say everything I think and feel about you at this point where I’m about to leave you. After all, it was 11 years -- almost half of my life -- and I am left with mixed feelings about our relationship.
Like all the relationships, ours started off pretty well. I remember dropping times every single swim meet, having dreams about the future and making friends that little did I know would become friends for life.
However, like many relationships, we had our ups and downs. You made me realize that I wasn’t that mentally strong as thought. Winning was easy, but losing and not improving hit me pretty hard, hard enough to almost make me quit. I’m glad I didn’t. Instead, I faced our issues and took the new opportunities only you could give me, swimming for a new team in college, a new competition environment and new friends. And now I know that as I am leaving you, I’ll am stronger and more mature than I’ve ever been.
The last swim meet of my life is right around the corner, and when the time comes I’ll make sure I’ll enjoy all the good moments with my team. I just love our team chant and how my teammates are so passionate when cheering for each other. Even though we’ve known each other for less than a year, it somehow feels we’ve always been friends. It is interesting how close you can get to a person when you have the same routine, goals and suffer every day at practice together.
Soon I will feel how strange it is to not being at the pool every day. I'll also be kind of sad. But, I leave with no regrets, and I know swimming will always be a part of my life and I’m thankful for that.
Arthur Brilhante