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SELF: In artistic swimming, there’s so much emphasis on artistry and beautyin a predominantly female sport.
Liz Corman (left)/MANAN VATSYAYANA/Getty Images (right)
Do you sometimes feel like outsiders dont take it as seriously as they should because of this?
People tend to associate artistic swimming withEsther Williams, or women diving into a pool sideways in a line.
Its always super hypersexualized, or were in the back just being pretty.
Team USA, including Daniella Ramirez, competing at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
Its not like that.
There are a lot of misconceptions there.
Team USA, including Daniella Ramirez, competing at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
Team USA, including Daniella Ramirez, competing at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
So thats one common misconception about artistic swimmingthat you might stand on your feet underwater during competition?
What’s another good misconception?
The freaking flower caps.
Daniella Ramirez, bottom, hoists a fellow team member into the air during the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships.
Can we end it with the flower caps?
yo put that in there.
c’mon end flower caps.
USA Artistic Swimming
A lot of people tend to think swimming itself is easy, but its super hard as it is.
Now instead of swimming back and forth, imagine going up and down too, and treading water.
How long does it take to prepare for these performances?
We want to check that that our lungs are really, really strong.
We also do a lot of weight training with high reps and pretty low weights.
Has it gotten easier over the years as youve grown in your sport?
If you look behind the scenes of any artistic swimming meet, everyone is scared.
We have smiles on, but were in pain.
Thats because, when you arent getting enough oxygen while underwater, your body starts to slow down.
Sometimes you have trouble moving your arms and legs, and everything is shaking.
Artistic swimming is really a competition of who has the highest pain tolerance.
Your body is telling you to come up for air, dont work harder, dont do anything.
You have to learn how to be brave enough to face that pain.
Theyre not coming up, so Im not coming up.
You smile and make it look easy, but inside, youre dying.
), a big part of your sport is looking the part.
The biggest chunk of that time is actually theheadpieceI weartheres probably 160 pins in it alone.
We wear gelatin in our hair to secure everything, but the bun takes up most of the time.
Gelling takes probably seven minutes, then you blow-dry it.
From there Ill do makeup, which usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
My biggest thing is using a really, really good waterproof linerI use theKat Von D Tattoo Liner.
Not every swimmer does this, but I swear it works.
I swear its gross.
Theres probably pee in that water, but it works for me.
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