First Merit Badge

[clemlaw]

Second favorite: Mile Swim. OK, not a merit badge, but close. Neither the strongest nor the fastest swimmer, I was the last person in the pool, but I finished the darn thing, and that was a huge ego boost for an 11-year-old kid.

 

I had a similar experience, although I think I was 13 at the time. It was done at summer camp, and we had to swim a course, and then shout out our number when we passed the starting point. It was probably 20 laps or something.

 

For the last 10 laps, I was the last one, but I kept dutifully shouting out my number, much to the amusement of everyone who stuck around to watch me finish.

 

IIRC, I missed supper, it was almost dark by the time I finished, and I didn't feel so good the next day. But yep, it was a big ego boost.