In this article, the author talks about his experience as an 11-year-old swimmer and shares the lessons he learned as a member of the swim team. In his experience as one of the slowest team members, he discovered that slow and steady does not win the race, and when the focus is only on achievement, one loses the value of failure. As an adult, he now swims because it makes him feel good. When he exercises regularly, he tends to skip meals less often, feel more alert during the day, and sleep better at night. This is a lesson that took him a long time to learn. He relates this race metaphor to his math class, explaining that the most important skill that students can develop is the willingness to put themselves on the line again and again, and to understand that learning to fail without causing oneself permanent damage requires practice.