The first son is a swimmer

It’s going to take a payday loan to get Tommy onto the swimming team. I bet you never knew just how expensive swimming can be. We had our first taste of this when our eldest son, Jason, decided that he wanted to take up serious swimming. Training 3 times a week means 3 entries to the pool every week, gas back and forth, swimsuits, plus a variety of extras that add up very quickly.

Jason soon became a strong and fast swimmer and was selected for his age-group team at the local club. Now he participates in swimming galas and tournaments regularly. Each entry costs between $10 and $50 depending on where it is and its competition level.

The second son is a swimmer

Second son Jeremy watched Jason’s progress with envy and finally couldn’t restrain himself. I met his request to join the swimming club with mixed feelings, pride at raising two swimmers and misgivings at the costs I could see looming on the horizon. Anyway, one way or another we managed the extra expenses and a few months later Jeremy too was on a team and racing every weekend. More entry fees and incidental costs and a lot of gas costs carpooling all over town.

The third son is a swimmer

Then came the Olympic Games and my family of swimmers sat glued to the TV screen watching Michael Phelps working his magic. “I wanna swim too!” yelled Tommy, aged 8, in great excitement. “I can be faster than Phelps!” I had no choice but to turn to payday loans for help with the initial costs.

The costs of educating the kids seem to be astronomical this year; have things gone up in price so much? The cost of gas certainly has spiraled and Ann is in the car every day taking or fetching from one swimming pool or another. Of course Murphy’s Law operates smoothly and efficiently so all 3 boys swim at different times and at different pools. We’ve cut down on other expenses in order to pay for all the swimming tabs, as we call them. This means very little eating out, no shows and only an occasional movie. I’ve used a payday loan a couple of times to help when there have been other expenses to deal with and that has worked out very well.

A Payday Loan to help

The Payday Loan system is great. I make the application on the internet and in no time the loan is approved and the money is in my account. So far I have always managed to pay it back in the following month. I am making other small savings as well which all help. The boys are old enough to be without a babysitter now, so we are saving those costs. The price of gas has finally leveled out and according to the papers it will start falling soon. That too will help.

This is what raising a family is about. Ann and I derive a great deal of pleasure watching our sons’ progress and triumphs. We have made a new circle of friends from among the parents of the swimming crowd. We enjoy our swimming weekends and swimming parties. Most of all, I am relaxed knowing that a payday loan will always be there to help me over a sticky patch.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps torpedoed through the pool with unparalleled speed, but it’s uplifting to know that payday loans can help you stay afloat when you feel like you’re sinking under the weight of your financial burden. Phelps’ Beijing performance was sensational, if not superhuman. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and set seven world records—a feat never before accomplished by any man or any woman. Phelps made Olympic history in the Water Cube, and he made it look easy. Don’t be fooled; winning eight gold medals is far from easy. In fact, you may be struggling just to keep your head above water—financially. Phelps may have reigned victoriously in the Water Cube in Beijing, but payday loans can help you conquer your financial burdens at home.

Sports Illustrated 2008 Sportsman of the Year

Olympic gold medalist "Michael Phelps" in the 400M

Not only did Michael Phelps take home 8 gold medals from Beijing this summer, he has now been crowned the Sports Illustrated 2008 Sportsman of the Year. Phelps dominated his competitors in the pool, and has proven that he can compete with athletes outside of the pool, as well. Phelps’ competition for SI’s Sportsman of the Year included individual athletes, coaches, and even entire teams like the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants and the NBA Championship winning Boston Celtics. Phelps beat out household name athletes like Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods, a fellow swimmer Dara Torres, and the world’s fastest man (on land)—track and field phenom Usain Bolt.

Phelps’ Legacy

So what sets Michael Phelps above and beyond the other competitors? Sports Illustrated selected Phelps as the 55th Sportsman of the Year not only for his world record shattering performances in Beijing, but also for his contribution to the sport of swimming. Cathy Lears Bennet, the woman who taught Phelps how to swim, remembers that Phelps proclaimed to Bennet that he was going to change the sport of swimming; Phelps said this when he was 15. And Phelps has done exactly that—changed the face of swimming. After the Olympics, NBC announced it would present the World Swimming Championships live for the first time ever in summer 2009. NBC also promised to air the U.S. nationals in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Phelps transformed the sport of swimming and made fans out of all of us.

Swim Fast, Stay Afloat

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps has proven that adversity is no match for hard work and determination. Diagnosed with ADHD in 6th grade and frequently made fun of for his goofy smile and big ears, Michael Phelps knows what it means to be different. Phelps also understands the importance of perseverance. He can swim fast in the pool and stay afloat under the pressures of of his peers. We can all look to Michael Phelps as our role model, our hero. Overcoming adversity is never easy, but Phelps has proven time and again, that it is possible. So whatever adversities you may be facing in life, just know that hard work and perseverance are the keys to success. If you are facing financial adversity and sinking under the weight of financial trouble, working hard to overcome your debts or short-term problems will pay off. Even Michael Phelps needs help from coaches and trainers, so if you feel like you’re drowning, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Payday loans can help you persevere. Michael Phelps swims fast, and you can stay afloat with payday loans.