Saturday, February 17, 2007
Big Pool!
Today saw huge progress in my quest to master the art of swimming.
I have been spurred on to my recent progress by a bit of competition from a girl in the class who is vying for the much coveted position of 'person who learns quickest'.
Her swim attire seems to be getting skimpier by the week, surely an attempt to distract me but it is to no avail! My goggled eyes keep their eyes on the prize.
And today huge progress was made as Mike 'the eel' stuart entered the big pool for the first time.
Leaving the others in the 'training' pool Valeri the teacher gave me a nudge and told me to swim in the direction of the deep end. Valeri is an intimidating dude so I obliged.
And swim I did, and swim, and swim. I felt quite safe with Valeri watching me but as I passed the 'No non-swimmers past this point' sign I became a little nervous and when the 3.5m mark was reached I broke into a little sweat.
But I did it! I swam a full length of a pool for the first time in my life and am most proud of it. I returned to the warm pool with my fellow classmates chest puffed out and head high, most smug. It was then when I tried to repeat the graceful aquatics from the big pool for them that I inhaled a huge nose-full of water and came up coughing and spluttering.
A nice reminder not to get complacent; there's still a long way to go.
I have been spurred on to my recent progress by a bit of competition from a girl in the class who is vying for the much coveted position of 'person who learns quickest'.
Her swim attire seems to be getting skimpier by the week, surely an attempt to distract me but it is to no avail! My goggled eyes keep their eyes on the prize.
And today huge progress was made as Mike 'the eel' stuart entered the big pool for the first time.
Leaving the others in the 'training' pool Valeri the teacher gave me a nudge and told me to swim in the direction of the deep end. Valeri is an intimidating dude so I obliged.
And swim I did, and swim, and swim. I felt quite safe with Valeri watching me but as I passed the 'No non-swimmers past this point' sign I became a little nervous and when the 3.5m mark was reached I broke into a little sweat.
But I did it! I swam a full length of a pool for the first time in my life and am most proud of it. I returned to the warm pool with my fellow classmates chest puffed out and head high, most smug. It was then when I tried to repeat the graceful aquatics from the big pool for them that I inhaled a huge nose-full of water and came up coughing and spluttering.
A nice reminder not to get complacent; there's still a long way to go.
