You know you are a legend when you are contacted by a year 10 kid from your first highschool. They contact you on My Space just to inform you that you are the hero of swimming sports. Oh the honour. The pride. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard the news that I still hold the swimming records of the highschool I was at in year 7. That means, they are now 10 years old. That means, I'm the schools legend.

I feel like running up to all those teachers and the principal who hated me and shove it in their face "HA! SEE! I ROCK!" But no, I will humbly (haha!) accept this and hope that no one else beats my swimming times!

I think that the swimming formed my best memories at that school. I was at the school for primary school and it was short lived in highschool before I realised that if I don't leave now I will have a permanent hate from the teachers. It wasn't hard to win. Swimming was my name, my life, my everything. When I knew that school swimming was coming up I wouldn't be able to sleep at night, for I knew, that I would be champion. How could you not be when you trained 6 days a week, waking up at 4:30 every morning to swim, and then... swimming again after school was out? Before I met God, swimming was my god.

Why did I quit? The weekend I was saved, March 1999, the very first thing God said to me in my new found friendship was "Quit swimming. Don't say goodbye, just leave, don't go back." So ofcourse, I did. My parents almost had a mental case as I arrived home "Hi mUM! I met JeSUs... i quit SWIMMING." They were so upset they sent me to the school counsellor, in fear that I joined a cult. Looking through their eyes I could understand their fear- their daughter goes on a camp after an incredible training session in the pool, excited about the Victorian swim meet that was coming up... only to arrive home claiming to love Jesus and refusing to enter the pools again.

It was years before I understood why God wanted me to quit. Ofcourse, swimming was my god and I had to choose to put God first, but why did He want me to leave just like that? Without any notice? None of it made sense. But last year the horror of it all hit me in the face as I watched television.

My coach was convicted of rape/pedophilia... the incidences occuring 1998-1999, in particular, March 1999. Suddenly I remembered, my hero my coach, had a pattern of favourites. Just before I quit I was becomming his favourite.

It saddens me to hear what had happened and to know that some of my swimming mates were affected, and the swimming community in whole (he was Head Coach of the Australian swimming team). But it also makes me see the wonder of God's grace. What would have happened if I didn't quit? Isn't it amazing that the first thing God says to me was to protect me?

When God speaks, dont' doubt. It may not make sense at the time, but I'm sure in years to come you'll understand what He means.