Swimmers are definitely athletes ... look how your body differs from those who aren’t swimmers . You have broader shoulders and a bigger chest cavity and your thighs and hips are much more developed . Swimming is a smart sport where you aren’t going to run into someone , get hit by a ball, or tear up a knee or ankle while running .
I pitched ( softball) in college ... always had to duck line drives hit back at me , hurt a knee base running , got hit by pitches ... yep , you’re the smart one 😁👍🏻