Overcoming my biggest fear - Learning to swim at 30!- And for the best reason ever...

I never learned to swim as a child.  When we had swimming lessons at school, I made my excuses so I didn't have to join in, from tummy aches to making myself sick. I was terrified of the water! Our parents never took us swimming either so we just never tried.

As I grew up, we went on various family holidays. I remember going to Butlins at Skegness when I was about 9 and looking longingly at the indoor waterfall and huge water slides, thinking if only I could go in with my friends. But, no matter how much I wanted to, the thought of drowning was too intense and I just watched on from the side while my friends were having fun. 

At age 13, we went on a family holiday to Majorca, my first family holiday abroad! I was so excited to be there but then my heart sank when I realised most of the kids played in the pool all day in the sun. I felt so left out and isolated and spent all my time sat on a sun lounger by the pool watching everyone else have fun. 

(source Zoopla)

When I was 18, I went on a 18-30's holiday to Ibiza and as you do when you are 18, had a few too many alcoholic beverages. I looked at the hotel pool and thought to myself 'how hard can it be?' In my stupid drunken state I decided to face my fear head on and dived into the deep end of the water. Needless to say it was the most sobering experience of my life! I panicked as I couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down! I realised I had no idea how to make myself float to the top! I flapped my arms and legs as fast as I could and somehow managed to get myself to the surface at the side of the pool. I had, in my panick, breathed in some water and struggled to breath. it took me a good few minutes to recover and was traumatised by the whole experience. 

Roll on 7 years to being 25 years old. I gave birth to my son. I was determined that he would be able to swim so that he wouldn't have the same awful experiences that I had endured through the years. So I took him to swimming lessons  from 6 months old. By the time he was 5, he was swimming really well and I was so proud of him! 

Then one day he asked me why I didn't go swimming with him and it broke my heart to think I was still missing out all these years later, but this time I was missing out on valuable time with my son.

This was the moment I decided to take adult swimming lessons. I didn't want my son to feel let down by me by not joining in with him and I didn't want to pass my fear of water on to him by explaining that I was terrified. So that day, I contacted the local leisure centre and paid for adult swimming lessons.

I was so scared the first few times of getting in the pool, but everyone there was in the same boat. (Pun intended!) After about 3 months, I started to feel more confident and decided to venture into the deep end. I would love to say it all went smoothly, but it didn't.  I had a few drowning moments and swallowed too much water and couldn't breath. But I never gave up. 

7 years on, I now swim 3 or 4 times a week and I love it! I am still terrified of deep water and I have never swam in the sea, but I recently swam a 5km swimathon to raise money for a Bulldog charity called the Edward Foundation! 

I am so proud of myself for acheiving this life goal and overcoming a huge fear.  But most if all, I love the fact that I no longer have to sit and watch everyone else having fun from the side of the pool, I am in the pool playing water polo with my boy! 

Thank you for reading @beautifulbullies xx