I was so excited I was shaking. I was among the first ever to compete in this event! I’d started a petition to get this sport into the Big Time, and look where I was now!

I never doubted my level of commitment to this, I just wondered how the rest of the world would stack up. It seemed like a ridiculously silly idea to everyone back at the Club, but here it is as an Olympic sport.

I glanced at my friend and teammate, who gave me a toothy grin and a thumbs-up which I returned. I continued to look down the row at the competitors: a guy from Qatar, a handful of characters from the Philippines, my teammate, a lanky chick from Uzbekistan, myself, and a fierce Cypress girl. This event, I’d noticed, brought in a great group of smaller countries into a medal race.

The time had come at last.

We mounted the block, facing the giant pool.

“Take your mark.”

Buzz. Splash.

The first-ever medal round of the 100m Doggy-Paddle was on.