I’m So Lucky to Have Taran Panduranga In My Life

I don’t remember when he showed up to his first Foxjets swim practice.

He didn’t say much in the beginning.

He still doesn’t say much.

But, every day he shows up, I’m on alert.

He’s that stoic type of leader who always forces you to do better—be better—because that is what he does every day.

Today was no different.

He kicked my butt yesterday.

At 5:58am this morning he walked onto the deck.

I was immediately on alert.

Attendance numbers on Tuesday and Thursday are lower because more than half the team goes to outdoor swim practices.

As such, we were able to divvy up our lane a bit: I went to Lane 4, he stayed in Lane 5.

Interval after interval we pushed off together.

Interval after interval he pushed me.

Interval after interval I pushed him.

I think one of the most beautiful things about swimming is the periodic glimpses you get of people next to you: on a breath, underwater on a turn, and on the dip down into the wall to finish.

You don’t ever get long so there is always a question mark in your head of where you sit.

For an hour we got to do this.

He lifted me up.

I like to think that I lifted him up, too.

It’s so important to have people who challenge us in all facets of life.

People who are better than us.

People who have skills that we don’t have.

People who have experience that we don’t have.

People who show up in ways that we want to show up.

People who make us better because of who they are.

I’m so lucky to have Taran Panduranga in my life.

I hope you have one of these leaders in your life, too.