One of my great privileges is living in Los Angeles, close to the Pacific Ocean. I often swim in the ocean, and thanks to the amazing California weather, I get to do this year-round. The physicality of the practice is one thing, but reflecting on my life, I think I am infinitely more grateful for the lessons it teaches me about perseverance and mental strength.

I have swum competitively throughout my life, but turned to the ocean full-time when the lockdown happened and pools were shut down. At first, the experience was awful – my heart rate spiked from the cold-response and the fear of seeing the sandy bottom drop-off into a gaping abyss.

But the people I swam with – all more experienced in open water than myself – pushed me to keep going.

Frankly, I don’t think I ever openly expressed that my heart was about to explode from fear, but they p