Here is my story:
I am a 63-year old male who is looking to started swimming instruction. I was very afraid of the water growing up and avoided swimming lessons througout childhood and adolescence, although my two younger siblings learned without trouble. I was the typical shy, glasses-wearing nerd-type, tall and thin, with mostly intellectual interests. I did try several sports when young but didn't do well at any of them. I gave those up by tenth grade and have only walked for exercise since. I had zero water experience exxcept for some summertime wading in lakes.
I didn't learn to swim in high school, since none of the local high schools then required it. I often wonder what I would have done if they had.
After watching the 1972 Olympics, I finally decided to face my fear and, at age 27, enroll in an adult swimming class. Despite a humiliating experience in the first session ("OK, let's everyone swim down to the end of the pool and back.") I persevered and kept coming. That first session I submerged for the first time, simple but very scary. We worked on very basic skills. It took some courage just to open my eyes underwater.
I worked on the basic stuff, but never enjoyed it. There was minimal emphasis on building confidence and relaxation before moving on to stroke mechanics. We were introduced to deep-water adjustment skills, which I was not really ready for. They included descending the ladder to the bottom in the deep end, deep-water entry, and jumping off the diving board. The last two were terrifying. All I could think of was to get back and grab the side as soon as I could.
I never got totally comfortable with my face in the water. Every time I was in a prone in the water I thought of what it was like to drown.
Being in the prone position in the deep was especially scary. I just couldn't do it.
I took swimming classes off and on for about ten years with only modest success. I did learn the elementary back stroke and back crawl, but couldn't do any storkes on the front. I was given a kick board to practice the flutter kick but, despite much trying, couldn't move an inch. Strangely enough, I could kick across the pool, slowly, without using a board.
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..Unfortunately, I can't get back into swimming again because currently I am recovering from a painful foot problem which keeps me from walking barefoot in a pool area. When I have recovered I will definitely enroll with an instructor.
Despite all the thinking and planning, there is simply no substitute for actually getting in the water and getting
acclimated. Last year I was in an aquatics exercise class for those with arthritis or chronic pain, where I tried a few swimming skills while the class was getting ready to start. I found I had lost the skills I had learned years earlier, even including how to put my face in the water. I need to start over, this time with a better swimming instructor.
You can't learn on your own, but need a good instructor. You need to commit yourself to a specific plan of action, which will involve a long, possibly discouraging series of lessons.
I need to talk to a prospective instructor ahead of time to inform him of any problems or goals I want to achieve. I don't want another failure in trying to attain this life goal.
But the prospect of being in deep water without fear is something I just can't give up. Hanging suspended in deep water. or being submerged in warm, clear water with total relaxation, are incredibly sensual experiences that alone make it worthwhile to learn swimming.
.. I would especially love to learn the feet-first entry into deep water without fear--an important safety skill we assume everbody knows.
I am eager to get started when health permits. I appreciate the intelligent advice I've seen in these postings. I've scanned other threads to glean what advice I can--it's heartening to discover there are a few others with problems like mine, especially overcoming fear of the water.
I will continue to make reports on my progress as instruction gets under way and I'm looking forward to receiving more replies.
..Unfortunately, I can't get back into swimming again because currently I am recovering from a painful foot problem which keeps me from walking barefoot in a pool area. When I have recovered I will definitely enroll with an instructor.
Despite all the thinking and planning, there is simply no substitute for actually getting in the water and getting
acclimated. Last year I was in an aquatics exercise class for those with arthritis or chronic pain, where I tried a few swimming skills while the class was getting ready to start. I found I had lost the skills I had learned years earlier, even including how to put my face in the water. I need to start over, this time with a better swimming instructor.
You can't learn on your own, but need a good instructor. You need to commit yourself to a specific plan of action, which will involve a long, possibly discouraging series of lessons.
I need to talk to a prospective instructor ahead of time to inform him of any problems or goals I want to achieve. I don't want another failure in trying to attain this life goal.
But the prospect of being in deep water without fear is something I just can't give up. Hanging suspended in deep water. or being submerged in warm, clear water with total relaxation, are incredibly sensual experiences that alone make it worthwhile to learn swimming.
.. I would especially love to learn the feet-first entry into deep water without fear--an important safety skill we assume everbody knows.
I am eager to get started when health permits. I appreciate the intelligent advice I've seen in these postings. I've scanned other threads to glean what advice I can--it's heartening to discover there are a few others with problems like mine, especially overcoming fear of the water.
I will continue to make reports on my progress as instruction gets under way and I'm looking forward to receiving more replies.
