I'm at the blocks. The crowd is silent; my heart beats loud in my ears.

The sun streams through the tinted windows, the panels designed to reduce the glare on the water.

This is it. The moment...

Before the start tone goes off, I close my eyes.

She's there; watching me shine from above. This is for you.

Dad, Grandma and all my brothers are here too, but I don't want to look. The magic's there, just knowing they're here.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Mark.

I dive in.

This is real. Here, now.

This is a silence that's golden.