4th Lesson Already

I had completed 4 swimming lessons.

When others had learnt how to kick in water and started swimming within the first or second lesson, I was still learning how to stand in a 1m deep pool.

At the third lesson, I almost drowned. Everytime, after floating in the water, and letting go of the pool side in an attempt to curl my legs forward in order to stand, I would be terrified of the lack of control and support. And I would fall into the pool and unable to balance myself or set myself upright.

Most of the time, the coach would be in front of or beside me, and I would grab his hand like a drowning woman. And I would be safe.

However, he was a few steps away from me and back-facing me to teach the other ladies for that instance when I floated away from the pool edge.

I could not even shout for help as I had panicked and took in water as I opened my mouth. I struggled like mad and grabbed the air as my last resort.

Fortunately, for some reason, I managed to struggle to the pool side and grabbed the edge.

I was so frightened I actually cried. My right thigh suffered a cramp that lasted for a couple of days due to the intense panicky kicking.

The helpless and I-am-going-to-drown feeling felt so similar to the time when I fell into the water thirty years ago.

The difference was: the coach that I had as a child asked me to sit by the pool and not do anything anymore; this coach made me go back into the water almost immediately and got me to walk around the pool till the fear was not so intense. He pulled my hands as I walked so that I would feel safe.

Towards the end of the third lesson, I finally learnt how to stand in the pool. It actually requires your head to tilt down into the water as your legs cave in to the body in preparation to stand. Previously, I could not do that as curling up in the water is something inconceivable to me.

At the fourth lesson, I finally could move my hands to 'draw a circle' without moving my legs. I had problems making my legs still when I moved my hands and I often lost my balance the moment I started to move my hands.

For someone with an intense fear of water, I could move a little - and I mean, 'little', in the water now.

I did have thoughts of giving up after the embarrassing third lesson. My father, sister, mother and Coco laughed when I told them I almost drowned. They already know that it was a 1-m pool. It is incomprehensible to them how anyone could attempt to drown herself in such shallow water.

I am glad I didn't. Now I look forward to the next lesson.

First Swimming Lesson

I had my first swimming lesson today.

The coach is the same person who taught Coco swimming. He is also coaching Baby on a different day of the week.

I was glad to know that the two other indian ladies were also having their first lesson today. Besides us, there were 3 other Indian men and 1 Chinese man.

At first, it seemed easy enough.

We were taught to hold our breath under water. Then, hold onto the side of the pool while allowing our body to float on water. Eventually, we were asked to let go of the side while we withdrew our legs to stand in the pool. I couldn't do it.

The moment I let go, my legs couldn't withdraw together and I lost my balance, and fell into the water.

I panicked, and struggled despite it being a 1m or 1.2m pool. The coach had to pull me up to save me from drowning.

In the end, the coach got me to skip that 'let go of the poolside' step and taught me to kick the water and floating around the pool while grabbing onto two pieces of swim board.

I got a little discouraged and asked the coach if it's possible that I wouldn't be able to pick up swimming.

He was nice, as usual.

He said I wasn't that bad (doesn't that sound familiar?), and that one of his students didn't even dare to put his face into the water when he first taught him.

I first learnt swimming when I was in Primary 3.

The coach was handling half a class by himself. He asked us to walk across the pool for the first lesson. Being one of the smallest-sized, the water reached up my chest, or somewhere near there. While many of my classmates walked fast and furious, I faced a lot more resistance due to my (lack of) height. And I fell into the water a few times, resulting in me drinking a lot of water while doing somersaults in the water.

It scared me.

Then I had another coach who asked everyone to grab a swim board and start swimming across the pool before he even taught us. I told him I didn't know how to and he asked me to practise 'washing my face' by the pool, meaning looking under water with eyes opened.

Then I fell a few more times into the water when I tried to do what the coach asked us to.

All these unpleasant experiences scared me.

I was so scared that when the schoolbus came to pick me up, I pretended to be asleep.

When my parents tried to wake me up, I was so frightened I cried and told them I didn't want to go swimming.

I didn't think that I would ever learn swimming again.

As I signed Baby up for her swimming class, I thought it such a shame that I couldn't even enjoy Wild Wild Wet and Adventure Cove because I didn't know how to swim. And I do want to have a good time with Baby when we go Adventure Cove again. So I mustered all my courage and went to the class tonight.

Let's hope I'll do better in the second lesson!