When swimmers hear the words “Take your mark” before a race, it’s an invitation to the calm before the storm. Everything goes silent because we need to hear the starter when he sounds the whistle. The pool becomes an echo chamber. You don’t hear a thing outside the rhythmic pounding of your heart. Once everyone takes their position after stepping on the block, you cannot move. Even a muscle twitch or the slightest flinch can call for a disqualification. The seconds before the beep seem like a lifetime. Tunnel vision.
