Once, when I was around 8 or so, I was at my grandmother's apartment building. There were two pools there, one indoors and one out. There was a man who lived there that gave swimming lessons to the kids in the building, myself included. Because of my total inability to swim, I was told NEVER to be in the pool area unless there was an adult around. One day I was chasing a cute boy around the grounds, and he darted into the indoor pool area. I came in through a different door and snuck up behind him. As he peered out the glass to see if I was coming, I tapped him on the shoulder, scaring him to death. He turned and by reflex gave me a shove, sending me into the deep end of the pool, and took off out the door. There was nobody around. I don't know know long I was in the water, and I don't remember anything after going in. I just know that I was found in the nick of time because...well...I'm still here! At 40 years old I still don't like water on my face, and have nightmares about my car going underwater and trying to breathe. I do go out in boats, but when we go fast I am constantly envisioning hitting a rock or something then sailing through the air only to land in very cold, very deep water. I am able to swim, but I NEVER go under the water, as doing so sends me into a panic.
So a year ago a friend of mine hooked Angela up with a swimming coach for the summer. Due to summer school interfering with everything else, Angela missed alot of time, as she did this summer as well. Really...she only got 4 or 5 sessions in this summer, three of them being private sessions. These sessions are very difficult for me to watch. The worst part is at the end of a session the get "free play" and can mess around with floaties and stuff. There are lots of adults around, and Coach Keanne is super diligent in watching everyone, but still the entire time I feel on the edge of panic. I've found it's better for me to either not watch AT ALL, or to just plain leave until the lesson is done. The last thing I want is for Angela to pick up on my fear of the water.
The coach is not just any coach. He is the coach for the Special Olympics NATIONAL team, and in a couple weeks will be taking the team to China to compete in the world games. He is an amazing man, donating HUNDREDS of hours of his own time every year. When summer swim was over he invited Angela to "swim" with his team. I was elated.
You see, much like her mother, Angela swims like a rock. Mouth wide open, sinking straight to the bottom. Over the past few weeks Keanne has worked with her ever so slowly, and ever so patiently, on how to kick and how to paddle her arms. (which Angela seems unable to do simultaneously, which is not conducive to staying above the water!) Because of her history of strokes, watching her "kick" is quite interesting, but over the last couple weeks I'm seeing her kick change, and become slightly more efficient. She's also working her arms better as well. But yesterday there was a breakthrough!!!!
We've been talking to Angela constantly about the need to close her mouth in the water. That it's scary when you go under and your mouth fills up and you try to breathe. She just doesn't seem to understand the concept. Yesterday when it was time to get out of the pool, she was in the second lane over and needed to go under a rope in order to get to the ladder. Keanne asked her, "What should we do? How are you going to get to the ladder?"
Angela's eyes got big, and said, "I go under."
So Keane demonstrated. He put both hands on the side of the pool on either side of the rope. He made an exaggerated motion of closing his mouth, then going under the water and under the rope.
Without missing a beat, Angela did it right behind him!!! She came up smiling at me, "See mom? See Dean? I did it! I go under!!!!"
I had to hide my tear so she wouldn't see it.
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