By: Jeremy Sikkema
Walking onto the pool deck at the 2025 Kalamazoo Zoom Zoom Swim Meet, I had no idea what I was stepping into. There was an energy in that natatorium, swimmers warming up, heat sheets being posted, officials getting into position, and I quickly realized that I didn’t know the rules of this particular game. When do I warm up? How much should I eat and when? What does the flow of a swim meet actually look like from the inside? I was figuring it out in real time. The meet moved fast, faster than I expected, and I nearly missed my first event scrambling to understand what heat I was in and where I needed to be. Nothing like almost missing your gun to sharpen your focus. It was my first swim meet Ever!
Why I Entered a Swim Meet
Triathlon has a way of expanding what you think you’re capable of. A few years ago, I would have laughed if you told me I’d voluntarily sign up for a masters swim meet. Swim meets were for “swimmers,” people who’ve been cutting through the water since age six, who can rattle off split times in their sleep, who know whether their butterfly is legal (mine is not, by the way, and I wasn’t about to find out the hard way in front of judges).
Triathlon has rewired my relationship with competition. It’s taught me that showing up to something uncomfortable is almost always worth it, not because you win, but because you grow. And at 40, the opportunities to do something truly new in sport feel rarer and more
valuable than ever.
So when the Zoom Zoom meet came around, an event put on by the Kalamazoo Masters Swim Club, which I’ve been a member of since 2022, I did what any self-respecting triathlete would do: I signed up for a lot of freestyle events on the card and figured I’d sort out the details later.
The Events (All Freestyle, All Day)
I kept it simple and stayed squarely in my lane, literally. No butterfly, no backstroke, no breaststroke. I’m not convinced any of those are technically legal when I do them, and this wasn’t the time to find out. Freestyle it was, from the 50 all the way out to the 500.
Here’s how the day went:
50 Yard Freestyle — 27.38
This was the event that woke me up. The 50 is pure sprint, and it turns out that triathlon training, with its emphasis on pacing and endurance, doesn’t exactly sculpt a blazing 50-yard speed machine. But the practices with the Masters team helped.
100 Yard Freestyle — 1:01.17
This is still not familiar territory. The 100 felt more hard from beginning to end.
200 Yard Freestyle — 2:18.79
The 200 is where I started to feel at home. This distance is still shorter than triathlon races, but felt more like the start of the sprint swim. Splits: 31.67, 1:07.22, 1:43.65, 2:18.79.
500 Yard Freestyle — 6:23.06
And here’s where I thought I would be most comfortable, aerobic fitness, but the 500 was still a grind.
The Relay Bonus
Beyond the individual events, I had the chance to swim on two relay teams — and honestly, this was one of the best parts of the whole day.
I anchored the Men’s 25+ 200 Yard Freestyle Relay and also swam the freestyle leg of the Mixed 35+ 200 Yard Medley Relay. There’s something about relay racing, the energy of the team and the urgency of not letting people down.
What a Swim Meet Teaches You That Triathlon Can’t
Triathlon swim starts can be chaotic and crowded. You’re wearing a wetsuit, you’re trying not to get kicked in the face, and the swim is just the appetizer before the real race starts.
A swim meet is completely different. It’s “just” swimming. You stand up on the blocks, you hear a beep, and then every single ounce of effort you have goes into that water. There’s nothing to save it for. No bike. No run.
I also had a reminder that the masters swimming community is incredibly welcoming. Nobody cared that I was a triathlete who didn’t know the etiquette of a swim heat sheet. People were encouraging at the wall, patient with my rookie questions, and genuinely enthusiastic about the sport. It felt a lot like the triathlon community.
The Case for Trying New Things
Triathlon has given me an aerobic engine, a tolerance for discomfort, and a community that makes trying hard things feel normal. The Zoom Zoom meet was a chance to take all of that and point it somewhere new, to be a beginner again, in the best possible way. There’s real value in not knowing what you’re doing. It keeps you present. It keeps you humble. If you’ve ever wondered what you might do with your swim fitness outside of triathlon, I’d encourage you to find your local USMS meet and just show up. Seed yourself conservatively. Stick to the strokes you know. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting to come back.
Athletic Mentors