I was almost born on Lake Ontario one beautiful late summer day. My parents were out sailing on our old 20 foot Lightning late in the afternoon in what they said was a fair breeze of 10-15 knots (small craft warning range). My father absolutely loved sailing in squalls and storms and on this day he was in his element. As the sun sank past the yard arm my mother felt her first contractions. By the time my father docked the boat and secured the rigging I was determinedly on my way. According to family lore I was born mere minutes of coming ashore.
I have always attributed the circumstances of my birth for my love of all things water. I feel so natural in the water... swimming, sailing, skiing, fishing, you name it. When I am in the water the world floats away with all it's demands, tensions and stress. Swimming is my meditation...
I cannot remember learning how to swim.... swimming is as natural to me as breathing. My mother had worked her summers as a teenager teaching swimming lessons and she said that she taught me to swim by age 2 1/2 years old. If you gave me a choice of running or swimming a marathon I would choose swimming every time.
When I went to high school I joined the swim team. At that time there wasn't a girl's swim team so I became the first female swimmer on the boys swim team at Nottingham High School. I mostly swam distance though my favorite strokes are butterfly and free. My best event is a 200 yd IM (Individual Medley which is a 50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast and 50 free). I swam and played waterpolo through college and started swimming Masters after graduating. Masters is a swim program for adults over 21. The events are judged by age groups each encompassing 5 years. I love this because as you get older so do the swimmers with whom you compete! I love it when I "age up"!
Currently I am a New England Master Swimmer and I am a member of two different pools. Why two pools you might ask... well, Atkinson Pool in Sudbury is close to home and the Beede Center in Concord is on my way to work. Both pools have a master's program so I can pick and choose what workouts I want to do.
Swimming is my passion, relaxation, meditation and sometimes raison d'etre.
What a great story about your birth! I also don't remember learning how to swim - I often say it's as natural as walking for me. My mom ran the swim program at our local YMCA, and ran a summer camp as well, so I was always in the water. I was also interested to hear about the Master's swim programs - I haven't swam regularly for probably 15 years now, but always think about getting back into it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove the story of your birth! I love watching the swimming events at the Olympics. You must be looking forward to 2012. Also... love your background. Liz
ReplyDeleteWhat would you recommend for someone who is just starting to train for a triatholon in regards to the swimming portion? How many laps is a "good" training session? Is there a specific stroke that is best?
ReplyDelete