Episode 7: Teach yourself to Swim

Navigating Neva

You can teach yourself to swim.

Yes, you’ve read it right, without the need for all that drama – hanging around pools, being pushed by other swimmers into the waters, thinking of hiring a swim instructor but who’s expensive. But, it’s possible to learn to swim even as an adult—all on your own.

You may not know this: according to statistics, learning to swim is one of the top five hobbies for people after they retire. Swimming also is one of the popular Olympic sports that has numerous variants.

But learning to swim as an adult can also become a nightmare – especially when people go philosophical: ‘push you in and you'll make it to the instructor’. Because, that did not work for me either. You see, I’ve been teaching swimming since I was 17, and I became a lifeguard when I was a teenager. But my beginning was not all so cozy. I had a near drowning experience —a traumatic experience which I didn't like that much, so I said-- ‘it’s not going to happen’. So I didn't go swimming. I did not take swim lessons.

So, how do you learn to swim on your own-- especially when you’re fearful, or when you do not like water?

Coming to my learning: I started in a pool which is safe-- you could see the ground level, and it’s no way related to my drowning experience. I started playing in the water and started to like the water. And then I could swim and then I kept swimming every day, all the time and you couldn't get me out of the water. I was a fish or a little mermaid and it was my favorite place to be and I love the water.

So, if I learned to swim on my own, you can too.

Listen up, because in this episode I’ve spoken briefly about: who, what, where, when, why in relation to swimming.

Because I want a zero drowning summer; I want you to be safe, I want each child to be safe. I want you to stay safe and enjoy the summer.