In Zen tradition, a new recruit is turned away. They are told there is nothing to learn, that the Masters have nothing to teach, that no help will be given because there is “nothing” to attain.

So the recruit waits outside stubborn in their pursuit.

They kneel in supplication. Hungry. Cold. Repeatedly told there is nothing for them within those walls.

Only later, as an act of grace, are they permitted to enter; not because comfort awaits them, but because they have chosen hardship willingly. They enter knowing the path will demand suffering, discipline, humility, and endurance.

The Zen recruit has no comforts. They sleep on stone beds in the cold. They learn not merely to tolerate discomfort, but to welcome it. Over time, the process creates a person who can withstand hardship with calmness, resilience, and kindness.

Compare that with the modern swimming recruit.

A young swimmer beginning their journey is often dropped off in expensive cars, their bags packed by parents, sheltered from the rain on the walk into a heated indoor pool. The multi-million-pound facility is reserved exclusively for their squad for the next few hours.

Yet in swimming, everyone knows the path to excellence is still long and brutal.

Success ultimately belongs to the swimmer who develops the inner resilience to endure what others avoid. The swimmer who asks for the hard set. The swimmer who stays afterwards to help tidy up. The swimmer who chooses difficulty rather than comfort.

Those are the future champions.

Not because they were driven there in a limousine, but because they asked to be let in.

That is why it is no surprise that the most successful swimmer in Paris was Léon Marchand. Before joining his programme, he wrote directly to his coach asking for help. He actively sought out an environment he knew would be exceptionally demanding.

The greatest performers are rarely the ones protected from hardship.

The swimmer who seeks suffering voluntarily gains something others never do: confidence under pressure, composure in adversity, and the ability to keep going when comfort disappears. Just like the Zen recruit standing outside the gate, the future champion is the one who keeps knocking — even after being told to go home.