portrait #1

"It was easy and familiar: you're underwater, holding your breath, practicing movements, and you have to feel the rhythm of the music marked by the coach. Stop. Start over. And that's the essence of sports—discipline and no pity for yourself. If it feels bad, you go, cry it out, and come back to training.

The main thing is to ensure that this lack of pity for yourself doesn’t extend to others. Preserving empathy while gaining resilience—that’s the true essence of sports."