Ribbons, Ribbons, ribbons. The life of a competitive swimmer includes stacks of ribbons from swim meets. Receiving a prize at the finish is one of the best feelings in the world for a swimmer. It’s also a proud moment for mom and dad. Pictures are posted on social media and dinner at the swimmer’s favorite restaurant is in order. But what do you do with the ribbons after the celebrations are over? Swimmers who start Swimming competitively at a young age can collect hundreds of ribbons by the age of 10. Piles of ribbons can be found in every drawer or closet in the house.