When I was a child attending kindergarten or a pupil in the school, later on, we had swimming as part of the PE classes. I always resisted it; I feared deep water and thus never learned to swim.
At age 12, I almost drowned in the sea as I went on a water slide that ended on the deeper side of the sea, further from the shore. I remember thinking I would die as I did not feel the ground under me; I did not know how to move my legs or arms in the water or breathe above or underwater. I was so scared, but luckily some woman saw me and rescued me to the shore. I wonder what lifeguards were doing or if they were there at all :-/.
At the age of 18, a giant strong wave in the Atlantic Ocean pulled me, turned me over and dragged me further from the shore, which was another kind of traumatic experience.
I wish I had learnt swimming as a child or teenager – I would have enjoyed all my sea vacations and PE classes in school so much more. Still, my fear took over, and I accepted that…until I turned 30 years old.
My husband (bf at that time) was already actively going to swimming classes with Lukas and kept telling me for almost a year to join as well. But I was so afraid to overcome my fear that I preferred sitting comfortably on my couch rather than facing and trying it!
Then, in the autumn of 2018, we moved in together, by fate, very close to the Podoli pool, so I convinced myself to go for a trial swimming class. I could always decide not to continue, but I will at least give it a chance and decided for conquering the fear of swimming.
From the first class, I immediately felt comfortable with Lukas. He was (and still is) kind, patient, attentive, and caring. The swimming learning journey was a challenging experience for me. I was a slow learner and surely a difficult student. I cried after classes and told my boyfriend I could not do it. My fears were like demons telling me I could not do it. I did struggle a lot in my learning path, but I agree with Lukas that it was all in my head, and fears took full control over me.
Lukas was of great support; he talked to me a lot, motivated me, and tried to make me understand that water is my friend, not my enemy. At one point, he suggested we try a different pool, Axa (where I could stand at any point in the pool), and step by step, I was slowly getting better. I swam next to the curb for a long time, then further from the curb, and the day I first swam in the lane, I probably celebrated. :D
Later on, I swam across Divoka Sarka Lake in Prague and felt so proud of myself. Swimming has become my favourite hobby, and I can not imagine my life anymore without it. It is excellent to overcome your fears, learn a new skill and expand your comfort zone. I enjoy swimming. I love it and recommend it to all my friends and colleagues. Big thanks to my husband and Lukas for encouraging and supporting me.
Masha
