In my first swim post, I revealed one of my most embarrassing secrets: I call Hawaii home, yet I finally learned how to swim as an adult. Am I good at it? Let’s say I won’t be called up to the Olympic team soon. But now that I learned how to swim, I love to do it and am excited to improve. Before I share my experience learning how to swim as an adult, I felt it necessary to share why I wanted to learn how to swim.
If you haven’t read my post about me not knowing how to swim, it’s okay; my feelings are only slightly hurt. And by “a little,” I mean a lot, but at least I know how to swim and can swim in my tears instead of drowning in them. My high school PE teacher embarrassed me in front of my classmates because I did not know how to swim. This experience traumatized me so much that I rarely wanted to get into the water unless I could touch the ground. I eventually gained enough self-confidence to learn how to swim at the start of the new year, but the decision to learn how to swim started long before my first class.
I wanted to learn to swim because, if necessary, I want to be able to save friends and loved ones (including my dog) in case the situation arises. And I never want to put said friends and loved ones in a vulnerable spot to have to save me. The truth is that I love the water, and I love activities that involve the water. I enjoy being in the water, from fishing to boating to kayaking to stand-up paddleboarding. But, and above loving the water, I also love safety. I’m the type of person who always lifts with my legs. I walk my dog at night with a safety vest and headlamp. And I always wear my personal floatation device. Since I love the water and safety of myself and, more importantly, my loved ones, I was determined to learn to swim in my 30s.
Side note: I always knew I wanted to learn to swim but was even more motivated to do so as an adult after listening to an episode of NPR’s LifeKit Podcast. Click here to listen to the “It’s never too late to become a strong swimmer. Here’s how to start” episode.
With my loved ones in mind, I finally made learning how to swim a priority and started researching all the places that would teach me. In my next blog, I’ll share all the research I did to help guide your search!
PS: When I tell others that I recently learned to swim, I get a question 70% of the time: “Didn’t your parents teach you or take you to lessons?” My short response is that my parents had to prioritize their time and budget for other areas of life to ensure I could have a carefree childhood, and because of this, I am forever grateful to them.