WHAT I LEARNT FROM LEARNING
TO SWIM IN MY THIRTIES.
I have always admired swimmers. I wondered how were they able to
keep themselves floating in the water without sinking, getting tired or
panicking about the depth of the water and the distance to the
shore. I also like water. I like how it feels fresh, how it sustains us
and how it embraces us when we jump in it.
Unfortunately, I was never a good swimmer.
As a matter of fact, no one in my family is a real swimmer. I even
found it very hard to swim the width of a pool without putting my
feet on the bottom; I felt frustrated when swimming. I also felt
embarrassed when I needed to let others know that I couldn't swim.
They would often exclaim, "but aren't you from Costa Rica?”.
Five years ago, my girlfriend at the time (who now happens to be my
fiancée), told me she used to be a swimming instructor for children
and adults. I thought this was my opportunity to learn, so I eagerly
asked her to come with me to the pool to give me some advice. She
gladly accepted and off we went.
She asked me to swim the length of the pool in my best style and
she would take it from there. I did my best that evening. When I
came out my heart rate was b