Splash!

Swimming is wonderful. There's something amazing about being completely immersed in cool water. It's a great non-contact support where your body weight is supported by the water.

It's funny how much I enjoy swimming now that I swim neither regularly nor competitively. There's a part of me that really wishes that I had tried harder when I was part of various YMCA teams. The motivation disappeared when I stopped being good at swimming. My competitive swimming career peaked at age 8.

I still remember my first race. It was just 25 yards of freestyle. I jumped in and started swimming. In the middle of the pool, I lost my cap and had no idea what to do. The best option at the time was to go back for it. I turned back in the water to get my cap. My coach screamed at me to keep going forward, and everyone on the bleachers was laughing at the confused little girl. I stopped in the water and finally swam to the side of the pool and climbed out. Needless to say, I got disqualified for not finishing the race.

Today, I treat swimming as mainly therapeutic. When I do swim, it gives me a good workout, and I actually enjoy the smell of chlorine seeping into my pores.