Whether he dies old as an athlete or young, one has a greater influence than the other. As an athlete myself, this topic resonates quite well with me. Athletes in general, who do outstanding work in their sport, do unexpected things. Records are broken and championships are won. It has been twenty-one years since WHS won a team state championship in swimming and diving. And in those twenty-one years, we finally achieved the unimaginable and what was thought in 1993 to be the only championship WHS would achieve. However, swimming and diving is not only a team sport, but also an individual sport. How we perform in our individual events determines our place as a team. It’s also where people long before us, like Guy Fulfer, set state records and school records. Sadness begins with an athlete, but it all begins in Housman's "To an Athlete" and it brings sadness to an athlete in three ways: disappointment, discouragement, and finally sadness. Like most athletes, who are dedicated to their sport, train harder than athletes who play sports just for fun. However, there are disappointments in sports. Many involve record holders (mainly in individual sports). Or some that concern how state rankings and/or championships are perceived. As AE Housman said: “The time you won the race in your city, we presided over you in the market; the man and the boy were there to applaud you, and we carried you home at shoulder height. (Prentice Hall literature [page 1092, lines 1-4]). As new generations take up the sport, some born with unimaginable gift and great potential, the people who set the school or state record provoke sadness in the record holder of the past. Second, most athletes can vouch for being discouraged in some way. ..... middle of paper ......ok also, I wanted to be like him (state champion and hall of famer). Often my name is read in the newspaper for my accomplishments, and one thing I know is that as I get older, I know I will be forgotten. But it will never overcome me. I will remember what I did and I know that someone among them will go to WHS and be just as great, if not better, than me. One thing I often remember is that although I may be forgotten in the future, I remember all the past and the achievements I have made. And this person who breaks my record, I will congratulate them because records are made to be broken. However, I will still have some emotional attachment as a diving athlete. So there is indeed sadness in an athlete in three ways: disappointment, discouragement and finally sadness. 2