When javier arrived at his first meet, his coach jogged toward him breathlessly. he alerted javier that swimmers were already lining up for his first event, the fifty-meter freestyle. the coach ushered him to the clerk of the course, signed him in, and got him seated with the other swimmers in his heat. javier tugged on his cap and nervously tapped his feet. soon the group was asked to proceed to the starting blocks. javier glanced left and right, and the starter’s signal sounded. before he knew it, he was reaching for the wall in his final stretch, with all of his competitors behind him. with relief, he confirmed that his time was the fastest.