There are mornings in the pool when I stagger out of bed to go to the pool and wonder why I'm still subjecting myself to this after almost twenty years of competitive swimming. Similarly, sometimes after I work so hard for the team and get nothing but complaints from one or two ungrateful team members that I wonder why I keep doing what I do.

Then there are days like yesterday, when it all comes together, and all your hard work pays off in a spectacular way. All the work we've had to do to get pool time, hire a coach, get people motivated, organise events, and so on, became worth it at Bath when the team pulled together and finished a stunning third to qualify for the final of the National Team Championships. We started slowly, with me having to drag the team together to do a team cheer, but momentum built. As it became clear we were in a close battle for third, and only eight points behind Cambridge in second, we began to realise that we had a fighting chance of actually making the final for the first time in over six years. The team rallied together, and we got up and outshouted and outcheered the other teams, making lots of noise and inspiring some fantastic swims from the team. We finished strongly, with a really good swim from the final relay to secure our place in the final.

As we laughed and joked in the minibus on the way back to Oxford, I turned to Roger (our coach) and said, "Y'know, it's days like these that remind me why I'm still doing this after all this time." He laughed, and agreed. It's a wonderful, wonderful feeling, and it's days like these I cherish and will remember for the rest of my life.

The thrill of victory. The satisfaction of a job well done. The camraderie of a close-knit team which fights for each other. The passion of an intense meet. The excitement of expectations for the rest of the season. The pride in knowing that this is a team I built and lead. Whether or not this turns out to be my last year doing this, I'm going to give this everything I've got and go out in a spectacular way.