Intro

My name is Geneviève Peel. I’m 26. I practiced artistic swimming for 12 years, including 8 at the elite level. I retired in 2015 from the elite circuit and came back for the 2018-2019 season to swim for McGill University.  In the 5 years that have passed since I retired, I have felt a growing

Lose Some Weight

My battle with food, weight and my own body has been continuous throughout my time in the artistic swimming elite circuit. Of all the marks artistic swimming has left on me after I retired, this is perhaps one of the most persistent ones. I don’t have the ideal body type for artistic swimming. I’m rather

Why I Quit The Canada Games Team

In 2014, I made the team that would represent Quebec at the Canada Games the following year. I was among the top athletes of the final roster. Training with the team started in the summer of 2014. That summer, I was also part of the provincial delegation that would compete at the US Open Championships

I’m Angry

I’m angry. I’m angry at people saying how synchro has taught them to be organized, has helped them excel in school, is a big part of why they are who they are today. Sure, these things are true. Sure, sport is “the school of life”, or whatever cheesy expression you wish to use. But I

Staying Silent/Gaslighting

I saw swimmers get yelled at so loud that I could clearly hear what the coach was saying from across the 25-meter pool. I stood by as a teammate who had just had a bad performance in competition was grabbed by the arm by that same coach, who then proceded to angrily putting her down

« La natation artistique, c’est l’école de la vie »

Combien de fois ai-je entendu cette phrase.  Voulez-vous savoir ce que la synchro m’a vraiment appris?  La synchro m’a appris que je ne serais jamais assez. Quand tu me disais que c’était ridicule que j’aspire à surclasser une nageuse particulièrement douée, je me disais qu’au fond je n’aurais jamais ce qu’il faut.  La synchro m’a

Une histoire d’abus

J’ai écrit ceci après qu’une amie à moi m’ait confié son histoire d’abus sexuels alors qu’elle pratiquait un sport de haut niveau. Par souci d’anonymat, je ne nommerai ni son nom, ni le sport qu’elle pratiquait.  Je ressens tellement de colère. Je déteste de tout mon être la personne qui lui a fait ça. Mon

La fin

Je pense souvent à la fin de ma carrière. Quand je dis que j’ai pris ma retraite en 2015, les gens réagissent souvent en riant. « Prendre sa retraite », à 21 ans! Ça m’agace toujours. J’ai dédié plus de la moitié de ma vie à ce sport, à temps plus que plein. Et puis, n’est-ce pas

I Miss It

I miss it. Not all the time, like I used to. I miss it in unpredictable moments, when I expect it the least, and in predictable moments, when I voluntarily dive back into this world for a few minutes, watching a video of me swimming, or for a few hours , when I attend a