Swimming fast and smiling

Anybody who has ever been to a swim meet knows that they can be interminable.  Long hours waiting for an event that takes 30 seconds to swim.  Followed by more waiting.  Swimmers have come up with a million ways to cope with this; they play cards, listen to music, do homework, eat junk food, stare listlessly into space, and much much more.

Montclair has one swimmer who has transcended these waits.  Winston just smiles.  He laughs.  He inserts himself into any conversation, video game, or book reading that is going on.  He is always smiling this genuine, from the heart, infectious smile that makes the wait worthwhile for everyone around him.  He is just a joy to have in the canopy.

Because the grin is such a part of Winston, I believe it has to be why he's becoming such a fast swimmer.  Hydrodynamically speaking, underwater smiling cannot be fast.  But, though I've never seen him from underwater, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he's smiling while he cracks out these increasingly fast times.

At this weekend's 10 & Under Championships, Winston dropped almost 2 seconds on his freestyle.  When he got back to the canopy afterward?  Smiling as always.