You may have seen some of the Synchronized Swimming Olympics on TV this week and wondered what it was all about. Well, here is a list of all the struggles these amazing women go through behind all the sparkly swimsuits and perfect synchronization, made by yours truly, a former synchronized swimmer.
1. No One Has Ever Heard Of It
I cannot even count the amount of times I have had to explain to people exactly what synchronized swimming is. I usually have to show people pictures and videos of Olympians, which then results in the typical "so it's basically dancing in the water" comment.
2. Gelling
Have you ever wondered how they get their hair to look like this? Well, you just mix a packet of flavorless knox gelatin with boiling water, put your hair in a really tight, high bun, then paint the gel in with a paintbrush. It eventually will turn rock solid, just in time for you to jab a million bobby pins in it so you can secure your headpiece.
3. Washing Out The Gel
Putting the gel in your hair is a struggle, but the hard part is getting it out. Being in water just makes the gel sticky and gross - like Jello - but doesn't actually get it out of your hair. You need at least a full bottle of conditioner, and to forcefully brush it out of your hair.
4. Finding Gel In Your Hair Days Later
Even after you wash your hair a million times, you will inevitably find gel in your hair days later, usually behind your ears. By that point it is dry and flaky and, frankly, disgusting.
5. Nose-Clip Malfunctions
Synchronized Swimmers wear nose clips so they can hold their breath longer while they are doing all the crazy upside down leg stuff. But what happens when your noseclip falls off? I usually would keep a few extras attached to my swimsuit just in case, and would try to throw one on quick while underwater. However, there is rarely enough time for that, so try not to lose your nose-clip.
6. Swimsuit Malfunctions
Synchronized Swimmers are typically known for their bedazzled swimsuits. They are very pretty, that's for sure, but sometimes can be a problem. At the bottom of the swimsuits, they are cut really high so when the swimmers pop out of the water, it makes it look like they are higher out of the water. However, when your butt cheek falls out, it's not so cute.
7. Toe Cramps
In Synchro, your toes have to be pointed at all times. I used to wear a huge rubber band like thing around my feet to practice pointing my toes. After a while though, you tend to get really badly cramped feet and calves, so you just want to flex them for a little bit. But you better not do it in the middle of a competition, because you will definitely lose points.
8. Getting Kicked By Your Teammates
In routines, the swimmers are always really close together because it makes the team look more unified. However, when you are all that close together and waving your arms and legs around really fast, you are bound to kick someone or be kicked all the time.
9. Decking In Weird Places
These swimmers not only practice in the water, but out. This is called decking, and the swimmers will run through their routine with their arms rather than their legs. At competitions, this usually happens in locker rooms, outside, or in the hotels. At home, it can be anywhere you have time to practice, but no matter where you are, it looks pretty silly.
10. The Memes
There are so many memes for synchronized swimming plaguing the internet. I'm sure more will come out soon from the 2016 Olympics, but here are a few of my favorites from past years:
If you missed synchronized swimming this year, make sure you watch it in 2020 so you can be prepared for all the new memes!
