An inspiration
Today I went over to the pool to do my cross-training work out for the week.
I always miss the pool when I get in…I just love swimming. It was our first real day of fall too. Temps in the 80s and just wonderful.
The swimming workout was good….felt good to tire out my arms.
However that was not my inspiration.
About halfway through my workout, I saw a mentally handicapped twenty something man in a wheelchair coming to the pool
Using the contraption I had always seen but wasn’t sure what it was for he was lowered into the pool.
He then proceeded to move his legs slightly and swim (doggie paddle) at least 4 laps before my workout was over.
It was amazing to watch. I can only imagine how it must feel. Confined to a wheel chair but in the water moving completely by himself.
Not only was he swimming by himself but with real determination he was swimming 25 yard laps. I was so touched watching him swim.
It also reminded me that I am so blessed that I am healthy and so is the rest of my family. We all have the ability to walk, run, swim, bike. I take it for granted. I am sure we all do.
It will be my inspiration the next time I feel like I can’t run another step. I can, I have the ability. It is just mind over matter. If this 20 something year old can battle everything going against him and get in the pool and swim over 100 yards then I can too can run that extra step, that extra mile….
Can’t swim- who me?
Image by stevegarfield via Flickr
As I sit at swim lessons tonight and watch MB cupping her hands and rotating her arms with a decent looking freestyle and a strong kick I am amazed.
Now MB has always loved the water and we did lessons now and again in OH and NY since she was 6mths old. However, other than water awareness and comfort we weren’t really swimming in the start of 2010.
When we moved to AZ and got a pool the first thing I did was sign her up for swim lessons. That was a little less than 6mths ago. I was first amazed that after 2 weeks of lessons (30min/week) she was able to make it from one end of the pool to the other and one way or another would get herself to the bottom.
We definitely spend more and more time in the pool now and have progressed to handstands and diving between your legs. Her kick is getting stronger and just this weekend in Havasu with a push on the bottom was able to make it to the bottom of the 9ft pool. She likes to sit on the bottom with TB and pretend to talk….so just a little fish.
While proud of all those little steps, nothing surprised me more than seeing her doing a lap of an actual stroke. It is just amazing to me how in 6 months, going 30/week, she has picked this up. We don’t practice tons at home, if I can get her to do it once a week outside of her lesson I am lucky.
I have to give AquaSafe the credit…a great setup, all of our coaches have been awesome, and she just loves going- especially now that she has a girl coach for the first time.
MB is proud of herself too…after we showered off and changed clothes. I told her how great she looked with her strokes. She gets this big grin on her face, she knows she is doing well, and just says “thanks, Mom” and off we go.
Now since I am talking about swimming…anyone have a thought on what age you stop stripping your child down in the public open co-ed shower? MB showers off with her suit on, I figure one night a week that can work as shower clean…but I have to admit I am a little amazed at the age of some of the naked ones running around?? Am I the weird one????
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