The 2022 Senior Perspectives is the 17th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.
Mikki Thompson
Hometown: Chino Hills, Calif.
Concentration: History of Art and Architecture
House Affiliation: Cabot
I can say with confidence that I truly would not be the person I am if it weren't for being a member of the varsity women's swimming and diving team. And to think I started out despising the sport. I remember five-year-old me, praying that I didn't make the team after club tryouts and crying actual tears when I did. I stayed with it and gradually over the following years, grew to love it. Swimming pushes you to your absolute limits and is as much a mental battle as it is physical, but the thrill of chasing goals became addicting. And cliche as it may sound, as I grew older, I realized that it was the relationships that make the experience fulfilling and worthwhile. When I began, I couldn't have imagined the joy, fulfillment and richness it would ultimately lead to.
If I had to single out one takeaway from my four years here, and one that was especially salient this year, it would be the immense power of a united collective. I came into college very much wanting to continue on as the swimmer I was in high school. Races when I wouldn't go personal bests, or close, would always upset me. I don't think I've ever cared about times less than I did this past year. The journey over the course of my college experience taught me that it truly is about the game – whether that's squeezing into the next final, touching out the person next to you or keeping your composure after someone flops on the boards before you. And that is what makes it a team sport, too. Undergirding all of that, and driving it forward, is the support, respect and love that the team has for each other – not just in the water or on the boards, but in every facet of life. We weren't just a group of talented individuals, but first and foremost a team that faced every challenge as one. From grueling doubles to isolating ourselves for a month, our dedication to one another was truly something special and I feel so lucky to have gotten to be a part of it. The immense power in giving up the self to a collective goal, and the joy that results from that, is something that being a part of Harvard Athletics taught me and is a lesson I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
All of the post-practice meals, schleps to weekend-long swim meets and words of wisdom from my mother Emiko and father Chuck enabled me to first fall in love with the sport. They fostered an environment in which I believed I could do anything. Being coached and mentored by Steph, Matt and Amanda also changed my life. I would be lying if I said I wasn't counting down the Monday morning thresholds – though, as this past year went on, I realized that I would thoroughly miss max VO2 in Blodgett at 6 a.m. This was largely because of their infectious drive, passion for what they do and commitment to their athletes as people first. They pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of and offered me perspective when I needed it most.
What I am perhaps most indebted to my family, coaches and team for is for allowing me to realize the worth I have in who I am as an individual, and not just as a performer. Over the past 16 years, swimming has taught me discipline, accountability and dedication. Above and beyond that, my experience in collegiate athletics solidified the meaning of the sport in the incomparable feeling of sharing moments with those you would do anything for. The enriching and enlightening conversations that I've gotten to have, the many laughs I've shared and the energy on deck day in and day out are what I will remember most. Setting goals as one, giving absolutely everything you have to achieve them and making memories in the process transformed my four years here into more than I ever could have dreamed.
