Sink or swim

I’m a water baby.  I grew up by the sea and spent summers in the water!  When I was 7 or 8, I was taken to swimming classes at a pool.  At the beginning of the first lesson the instructor told us to ‘jump in’.  I did.  I couldn’t swim.  And, I was out of my depth.  I had to be pulled out and I have a vague memory of coughing and spluttering as I recovered.  I didn’t continue with those lessons.  Amazingly I didn't develop a fear of water.  It certainly didn’t deter me from going into the sea, or a pool.  I can remember doing water safety classes in the sea and I continued to ‘swim’, albeit without any technique.  However, I was always afraid of being in out of my depth. 

Dive in

Fast forward to the year 2000.  I backpacked through Thailand and Malaysia on my way to Australia.  I didn’t dare try diving.  Snorkelling, once I got into the water, was manageable.  So, when I started living in Sydney, I decided it was time to get swimming lessons.  I needed a swim coach to help me improve. 

A-ha moment

I can still vividly recall the first time the coach showed me how to breathe while doing the front crawl.  I put my head in the water and I was able to breathe out.  It was one of the biggest light-bulb moments of my life.  I was so blown away that it was that easy.  Why didn’t I know this already?  I had been doing the front crawl for years with my head above water – never really getting anywhere but enjoying it all the same.

From strength to strength

As I became a more competent swimmer, I gained confidence.  In 2012 I joined Dublin Swimming Club and took part in the summer sea-swimming season.  There were about 60 women competing and in the first race I was one of the last to finish.  In the next race the water was so cold and there were jellyfish everywhere.  I think that those conditions provided an extra incentive to swim even faster and I finished somewhere in the middle. 

What a feeling

In 2013 I went on a Swim-trek holiday took part in a 5km swim one morning.  What a feeling! Swimming forces you to be present.  You need to be fully alert.  Especially sea swimming.  You need to be mindful of the potential dangers lurking everywhere - waves, currents, jellyfish, boats and other swimmers.   

Out of my depth

I’ve had my fair share of swimming in the deep-end at work.  I swam.  I swam well.  I swam against the tide.  I treaded water.  I was in over my head.  I began to recognise when my ‘technique’ was off and found people to help me to breathe properly again.  I also became someone that others came to when their ‘technique’ felt off and I helped them recover and swim confidently in the deep-end.