1996 — Slovakia. A cold, dark, communist-era pool. Uninviting, but familiar. A team of nine elite swimmers and me, 17 years old. I remember feeling the weakest of them all. The goal: to swim more than...

May 31, 2:30am, Melbourne. Competition day. Pounding headache, nausea, and barely any sleep behind me. The kind of day where the logical choice is to stay in bed and regroup. And I very nearly did.

M...