We've all had them, your suit rips during a start, you accidentally sneeze on Michael Phelps, you burp or fart on the starting blocks, etc. (none of those happened to me...knock on wood).
What's your most embarassing swimming moment? (includes, meets, practice, anything swimming related)
Former Member
Oh, boy, do I have a story!!
The first year I moved here to Roatan in the Caribbean, I started swimming at an inlet called Half Moon Bay. It is 1/2 mile all the way around it. In it, are various little reefs. Well, I was doing backstroke and thought I was in the clear, but I swam across the tip of a reef ripping my suit entirely off from the waist down.
Now my scooter and stuff was on the road which meant I had to exit the water with the top half of my suit only. To make it worse, it was Cruise Ship Day and there were people everywhere walking on the road. I stayed in the water and was trying to time my quick exit to my scooter inbetween groups of people. The longer I waited, more people were on the street.
I finally knew I was out of luck on this one, so I stood up, half-naked and walked proudly to my scooter while people were pointing and laughing. What I was thinking as I was walking proudly was that I'll probably never see them again anyway, so be it.
Donna
Oh, boy, do I have a story!!
The first year I moved here to Roatan in the Caribbean, I started swimming at an inlet called Half Moon Bay. It is 1/2 mile all the way around it. In it, are various little reefs. Well, I was doing backstroke and thought I was in the clear, but I swam across the tip of a reef ripping my suit entirely off from the waist down.
Now my scooter and stuff was on the road which meant I had to exit the water with the top half of my suit only. To make it worse, it was Cruise Ship Day and there were people everywhere walking on the road. I stayed in the water and was trying to time my quick exit to my scooter inbetween groups of people. The longer I waited, more people were on the street.
I finally knew I was out of luck on this one, so I stood up, half-naked and walked proudly to my scooter while people were pointing and laughing. What I was thinking as I was walking proudly was that I'll probably never see them again anyway, so be it.
Donna
did u wear the torn piece or remove it? Removing it probably would look less humourous...just my $.02.
I think i've lost my shorts on a "dive-in" several times in my more youthful days...nothing of late that I can remember. No doubt I have just jinxed myself and will suffer some horrendous misfortune at my next workout. LOL
On a similar note, one day, I was at the gym swimming and someone stole my clothes and running shoes. :mad: I walked out of the gym barefoot wrapped in two white towels. Unfortunately, I gotta see those gym folks again.
My Grandfather used to swim across the River Thames in London as a kid. Their friends would meet them on the far bankc with a towel and clothes. One day they set out and their friends decided not to take their clothes over to the other side for them... they had a nice walk back through the Blackwall Tunnel wearing a sheet of newspaper each. lol.
In my first meet ever (last year at 42) right after my start in the 50 Free, my goggles flipped and sat backwards on top of my eyeballs. Since I didn't have any experience to tell me what to do, I just swam as hard as I could making out only faint lines at the bottom of the pool waiting for the "T" at the end to make my flip. Well, the "T" never came or at least I never saw it and I smashed my hand right into the wall at the first turn. I figured I broke all my fingers.
Well, I didn't want to be embarassed more than I already was by getting out of the pool, so I turned around and swam as hard as I could back ignoring the fact that I couldn't see. I charged to the finish and this time I didn't smash my fingers, but actually touched the pad with my head while my arm swung over the top and smacked on top of the gutter. I mean, I've seen some novice swimmers touch with their head in the backstroke, but the freestyle?
Man I felt humiliated, but the only thing I ever heard when I got out was "great swim" so I was hooked not only on swimming but the swimming community as well.
My most embarrassing moment (and this does not even rate close to Donna's - I think I would have stayed in the water till it was dark, too) was when I was 13, during my whopping 2 year age-group swimming career.
It was 50 free, long course. They called us up on the blocks and we stood and stood there. There was some problem with the timing system and eventually they called us down from the blocks. So I started chatting and goofing around with whoever was behind the blocks, paying no attention, when suddenly the starter 'beep' sounded. I whipped my goggles off my head, jumped up on the block, hit it with one foot, and belly flopped into the pool... terrified that I'd missed my start. I surfaced ready to race and everyone was laughing. Yes, it was just a test beep. Even the officials were giving me a hard time, saying that they might have to count that as a false start. Totally humiliating for a 13 year old.
Brad, you are seriously tough. I will remember your 50 next time I start to whine about jamming a finger on a finish. :)
I was way too distracted by the not being able to see, swimming in my first meet, and the embarassment to feel any pain (until after the race).
