I was born in a traditional family, extremely traditional. When I was little, I was not allowed to access to the outside world much because of my parents' fears and worries. You can imagine that I was alike a fish who was cared carefully in a tiny swimming pool. I was a girl whom people did not like to talk to me, or even approach to me. They usually called me "princess" which is cute to many people, but I really knew that was a mockery. Therefore, I was lack of almost the softskills to adapt to the changing world.
And there is a servival skill that I desire to know and master: SWIMIMING. In Vietnam, only a small part of children are taught about the importance as well as how to master it. And for me, until the age of 26, I just started to know and learn it. Although covid causes huge bad impact on our common life, personally I have found that it brought to me many chances to change myself in better ways, to improve myself.
Then in the early March 2021, I was brave enough to register a 45-day swimming class near my house with my strong determination. However, it is the first step that is troublesome. The first lesson given to me was water breathing skill. It was not too hard to catch up but it was more important than I thought. I believe that everyone who want to learn swimming need to learn it carefully and master it before next steps.
Our learning schedule was 3 times per week. Everyday I went to class, I was so excited until the 8th lesson - day 25... After I learnt the single skill for each part of body, I had to step in one of the most challenging period in order to really know how to swim: coordination the legs and arms. I must say that it is seriously hard lesson all my life. When I started to use my arms, I forgot my legs, then I started to sink. I am sure that anyone who ever experienced that moment always got scared even very panic.
SO HOW I DID GET OVER MY FEAR?
Until the 9th lesson, I had a week off from the swimming class due to the pool's maintenace. I thought whether I continued to learn or not? Then I decided no matter how it was difficult, I had to try to master it with my best. At night, I went to the youtube channel, sought some incredible series about swimming and got to know why people usually made mistakes while coordinating legs and arms. Yeah, after a lot of series I watched, I realised my mistakes. It usually comes from my panic state of drinking pool water. And can you imagine what I did next?
It was quite crazy but it worked for me, I accepted that I had to drink some swimming pool water (which could help me to be able to swim) even if I could dry the pool haha. I was brave, huh? My teacher told me that when you learnt how to ride a bike, if you did not fall out at least once, how could you be able to control your bike? I kept it as a very good advice for me to continuing to practise and get up after every failure. I took action! In the week off of my class, I came to other swimming pool and... practised alone without my teacher, my classmates. At first, I got very anxious. I had a crazy thought in mind if I could die of drowing? After few minutes, I shaked myself "No pain, no gain". And I did drink the first sip of water. Oops! It tasted terrible. Then the second one, third one,... And I moved, I swam about 5 meters with the combination arms and legs skill. Woww, it was the first time I felt like a fish. A Fish! I was light and moved smoothly under water. Oh my god! At the moment, I really wanted to scream that "I can swim, I can swim".
After that I felt more confident and I practised 3 - 4 times a week. I had been in progress, 5m, then 8m, then 10m and now I can swim 25m the length of the pool and I can swim 3-4 rounds of the pool. Woah, it's the achievement beyond my imagination. To many others it is quite simple, but for me it is my significant effort to not only overcome my fear but also expand my limit. My physical health was quite weak and I am quite thin too. I used to find it hard to do any physically hard work. I was easy to get sick even I tried to keep fit. However, now I am confident to say that "effort will pay off" regardless of who you are, what is your starting point. With the strong patience, with the great effort and the good methods, all of us are able to do anything, achieve any goal which we desire.
And I do not forget to promise to myself: I will practise more and more till I master it!
The swimming pool near my home - where my new experience started.
Finally, I would like to share the last one "Be patient and the fruit season will come!"
Hope you enjoy my reading. Thank you <3