in volunteer work and enroll in a class to get scubacertified—something that had been on my bucket list for a while. Choosing to swim professionally after my college career also comes with financial challenges, much like any recent college graduate experiences. I do have a couple of sponsors, TYR being the biggest one. However, since I do not have tons of potential sponsors running after me, and since Swedish swimmers do not get funding from our federation, I had to find an employer who is fine with me being away for weeks at a time and only able to work a few hours each day. What makes it even trickier is the fact that I am not an American citizen, which narrows down the available jobs significantly. However, I was lucky and got a lot of help from my coaches in Miami. I have been coaching a lot this past year and I love it. There cannot be a more rewarding job than sharing the swimming expertise I have gained over the years and also see how younger and older swimmers get better with the help I give them. Having a job—as well as two very supportive parents— has made this past year as a professional swimmer reality for me. Despite its challenges, being a professional athlete comes with many rewards—I get to travel over the world and visit places I would never get the chance to see otherwise. Just within the past 12 months, I have been to places such as Japan, Italy and Turkey. During the trips, I constantly meet people and get to know some of the best swimmers in the world. I know I cannot swim like this forever. Therefore, I enjoy every moment I get to have my sport as my job, and get the opportunity to compete on the highest level in the world. To find a job that you love is what all people want to do, and as of right now, I have found just that job. v
June 2013
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5/17/13 10:55 AM