Exceedingly hard work in the pool will come with the slim possibility of some kind of reward. Maybe. 

Unless you're destined to be an Olympic athlete, your swimming success will not bring about much of anything in the way of fame or fortune. What you can earn is some good, old-fashioned recognition for your athletic accomplishments.

The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships happen every year. Winning a few events at one of these shindigs is extremely awesome on its own, but the glory could also propel you onto the National Team or get you onto the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Making the National Team opens other doors for you. You'll be able to compete in international competitions, like the FINA Short Course World Championships and the Pan Pacific Championships. Winning these competitions adds even more shine to your résumé and could get you recognized by Swimming World. They name one male and one female World Swimmer of the Year each year.

Nice.

There are always national and world records for each event that are just begging to be broken, too. A swimmer's career is challenging, but never short on goals. Or, hopefully, golds...if everything goes swimmingly. (We're terrible. We know.)