Dartmouth College

As I threw open the pool’s thick metal doors, the pungent aroma of chlorine swaddled me like a wet blanket around the shivering newborn. The scent was pervasive during my year-long stint on the swimming and diving team, when the fame I had imagined for myself as a freshman remained just out of reach. As I stepped along the slimy pool deck, I brought my focus back to the reason I had revived my failed athletic career. Gustavo Torres and I met through my school’s Best Buddies Club, which connects students with and without developmental disabilities. The students’ excitement as they jumped up to…