For most of my childhood, my days were planned around the pool. I started at three and a half, and in my busiest periods I trained up to twelve times a week, under Olympic coach Brigitte Becue. In 2021 that work paid off with a Belgian title in the 50 m backstroke.
Then the store came. Lectures during the week, the shop on Fridays and Saturdays, events on Sundays: at 21 I stopped. A year later I came back for one race, the mixed relay at the World InterUniversities Championships in Barcelona. I swam the last leg. We were fourth when I dived in, and second when I touched the wall.
