Guess who's floating in the pool with complete abandon and enjoyment and giving the (utterly false) impression of being a swimming expert?
No, no - it's not me. I haven't progressed much beyond where I was in the autumn. It's not Ads, who has finally started being coached by a really nice, young, patient and friendly coach. They have some communication issues - coach not knowing much English and Ads seeming to have forgotten all his Hindi during the summer break. It's not even S, who has now stopped maniacally studying YouTube videos and almost living in the pool during weekends. He is, for the record, doing pretty well with the swimming and able to get through almost the whole length of the pool in freestyle.
It's Y who has been stealing our thunder, with her enthusiasm. She jettisoned her lovely one-piece swimsuits (she has several hand-me-downs and they are just so cute!) in favour of the much more practical wetsuit-type thingy which has a built-in float. It was originally bought for Ads, back when he was two years old, but he was never much of a water baby. Y has been using it now for more than a month and it's really helped boost her confidence in the water. She floats on her back, manages to kick her way from one end of the pool to another, and generally lowers my confidence no end!
Last evening, the four of us were down at the pool and while I was sorting though our stuff and S was helping Ads into his cap and goggles preparatory to his lesson, we caught sight of Y casually sliding into the water. Before we could react and run to the edge of the pool, she was already in the middle and waving merrily at us! What a fright she gave us!
She claims she can swim and float and when the coach asked her if she would come for class alongwith her brother, she turned to me and muttered "Enakku already swimming theriyum" (I already know swimming).
Getting ready for a back float - she has since perfected it.
Wow, so cool! I am still struggling with my confidence levels regarding swimming! W/out the floats I have no confidence, should try swimming across the breadth, never tried that. One thing that helps is to be in water just for fun, not with the sole ambition of swimming through! Same pinch about the youtube videos bit, doing that now! And just realised one thing, my instructor never talked about treading! Hmm!!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, its so much harder when one is older, Chatty wren! I had a hard time just learning how to float. Now trying to float on my back...its not easy to relax that much.
DeleteGood luck in your endeavour!!
wow..way to go Y!!!
ReplyDeleteand here I am, not even attempted to learn swimming :-(
It's a little hard to do so in bangalore isn't it? Its not hot enough :) I remember a friend and her kid always used to come down with a heavy cold after 2 consecutive days of swimming.
DeleteReminds me of my good old days of swimming classes at school .. It was compulsory from class 1 to 8 ..
ReplyDeleteThe experiences of being pushed into the deeper parts of the pool by the coach are still fresh in my mind :)
We all used to be so scared in spite of there being another coach floating in the pool to receive us as we are pushed in :)
But my swimming stopped along with my classes in school .. My dad used to take me and my sis to Savera for swimming on weekends but it all gradually stopped ..
So now i don't even know if I'l still remember to swim if am pushed in :)
Very good that your lil daughter has taken to it automatically .. Talk about inbuilt characteristics and personality :)
Wow...compulsory classes? I wish they would have that in Ads'school! I'm sure, if u re-start swimming, u'll remember how to do it in no time...isn't it like cycling, something that ur body never forgets? :)
Deletethe spirit of Y is just adorable.
ReplyDeleteThanks sundar!
DeleteLOL That is too cool. Way to go Y.
ReplyDeleteYeah she is pretty cool :) Thanks, sumana!
Delete"I already know swimming" Very Smart!!
ReplyDeleteI recently learnt swimming and i am at the same stage as yours :)
I am in awe of little Y.
Well she doesn't actually know any swimming, techie2mom...she just pretends as tho she does :)
DeleteBut she is not afraid of water, i was so afraid of letting myself go!!! She is brave :)
ReplyDeleteI can only saw "WOW!". D has swimming classes at school next year and I am in such a scramble to get her to know atleast basic stuff before she has to do it at school without my watchful eye :(. Probably showing her these photos of Y will help :).
ReplyDeleteHey don't do that...its not fair :)
DeleteY wears a float that's why she's able to do it. It annoys Ads no end when she claims she can swim in his hearing :)