Swimming

I am so proud of myself!!! After lots and lots of years, I signed up to take swimming lessons starting last week on the day before my birthday.  This was my present to myself.  (And, as Glenn has learned don't try to tell me I won't do something because, guess what?  I will to prove a point!  He made a little wager that we could take a certain trip next summer IF I would learn to swim.  He doesn't want to really go, so he thought this was an easy out. HA!)

One day while at the Grand Dunes Ocean Club we saw a guy doing what looked like swim lessons.  The next week we saw him again and Belinda called him over.  Fabio (yes, he looks like the name) is from Brazil, where he was a competitive swimmer.  Now, he coaches swim teams here and also gives lessons.  I signed up for one week (5 lessons) right then and added a second week after my first lesson!  Now, eight lessons in (we do two 1/2 hour sessions each day) I have signed on for five more.

The first day I had not even (except in rare accidental instances that usually ended up being flailing underwater embarrassments until help arrived) put my face and head in the water.  Today, I swam halfway across the pool with my face in the water, kicking and using arms with no kickboard or holding onto Fabio.  YAY!  I can definitely see improvement.  And, WOW, what a work out it is.  I actually wish I could take him back to Columbia to be my personal swimming trainer.  Being used to coaching, he pushes me to take chances and try hard.  And asks me constantly, "Do you always try this hard at everything?"  because I tend to push myself even harder.  Yes, I do when I am determined and I am absolutely determined to learn to swim.  Most of all, I am thoroughly enjoying it and wish I hadn't missed all these years of fun because of ignorance of knowing how to swim and scared of learning!!