Ahmad Zeaiter

I didn’t grow up swimming — in fact, I still remember having floaties on my arms at age ten at the local pool. It wasn’t until college that I really got into the water for the first time. I took a one-credit swim fundamentals course to learn the basics, inspired by a lovely swimmer on the college team — Janet, who’s now been my wife for nineteen years!

I had never been on a swim team before joining PCY Masters. In my late twenties, while living in Richmond, Virginia, I started taking swimming more seriously at the local YMCA, where a big triathlon group trained. That’s where I first learned the main strokes — though at the time, butterfly and flip turns were still a mystery.

After moving to Cincinnati for work, Janet and I joined the PCY Masters team. During Covid, when the bubble was up, I finally decided to conquer the flip turn. I must have spent hours practicing in the shallow end until I finally got it down. Butterfly is still a work in progress — but one stroke at a time!

What keeps me coming back to the pool is simple: the people. The fitness aspect is great, but it’s the camaraderie and encouragement from teammates that make all the difference. I’m not the fastest swimmer, but I’m surrounded by folks who push me to get better every day.

I especially enjoy the long-distance freestyle sets on Mondays and Tuesdays — those are my favorites. IM Wednesdays and Thursdays? Not so much! I’m still working on efficiency in those strokes. Swim meets are a new experience for me, and while I’m not the biggest competitor, I love watching the team come together and cheer each other on.

If you see me at practice, you’ll probably catch me playing “name that tune” between sets — I love listening to the music during workouts and trying to guess the song.

In short: freestyle, friendship, and fun — that’s what keeps me swimming.