Swimming!

pascal00d

today

I’ve started a new sport this year and I’m happier than I could expect!
I learnt to swim at school when I was about 10 years old, but my technique was pretty basic and I was not confident at all. For example, I didn’t put my head under the water, as I didn’t like it, but you can’t have an efficient swim by this way and you will be quickly exhausted.
However, I love swimming in pools or at the beach during holidays, or even just the pleasure of floating in the water. So I had that idea in my head for many years that one day I would take some lessons to improve my swimming skills.
On last September, I moved in a new house and by chance there is a public swimming pool at less than ten minutes by foot. So, no excuse anymore!
I subscribed the lessons for a year, one hour a week except during the school holidays when there are no lessons. However, I hadn’t imagined learning swimming would be so difficult at the very beginning!
I really struggled to manage my breathing. Nothing could be more logical than exhaling under the water and inhaling above it. Nevertheless, in practice my brain was overwhelmed by trying to do the right movement for every body part at the right time. As soon as I lost my concentration, the punishment was immediate : I swallowed water, I choked and I panicked!
Thanks to the coach’s exercices and support, I haven’t given up and I’ve even made such progress than I’m now able to do a swim lap — 25 metres — almost without a pause for 3 swimming styles — front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.
I’m eager to improve myself even more until I can glide over the water!

en 1

Correct

Corrections

ddvz

Swimming!

I’ve started a new sport this year and I’m happier than ~~I could expect~~ever!

I learnt to swim at school when I was about 10 years old, but my technique was pretty basic and I was not confident at all.

For example, I didn’t put my head under ~~the~~ water, as I didn’t like it, but you can’t ~~have an~~swim efficient ~~swim by this way and~~ly like that so you will be quickly be exhausted.

However, I love swimming in pools or at the beach during holidays, or even just the pleasure of floating in the water.

So I had that idea in my head for many years that one day I would take some lessons to improve my swimming skills.

~~On l~~Last September, I moved into a new house and by chance there iwas a public swimming pool at less than a ten minute~~s by foot~~ walk away.

So, no more excuse ~~anymore~~s!

I s~~ubscribed the~~igned up for lessons for a year, one hour a week except during ~~the~~ school holidays when there are no lessons.

However, I hadn’t imagined learning swimming would be so difficult at the very beginning!

I really struggled to manage my breathing.

Nothing could be more logical than exhaling under the water and inhaling above it.

Nevertheless, in practice my brain was overwhelmed by trying to do the right movement for every body part at the right time.

As soon as I lost my concentration, the punishment was immediate : I swallowed water, I choked and I panicked!

A comma can be used here instead of a colon, but I think both work fine.

Thanks to the coach’s exercicses and support, I haven’t given up and I’ve even made so much progress than I’m now able to ~~do a~~ swim lap — 25 metres — almost without ~~a pause~~resting for 3 swimming styles — front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.

I’m eager to improve myself even more until I can glide over the water!

Feedback

This was very interesting to read as it very closely resembles my own journey of getting back into swimming as an adult! You did a great job of articulating the difficulties of starting to learn how to swim. Especially the breathing aspect, that really resonated with me. Swimming is such a beautiful activity/sport. You've inspired me to make a post in my target language describing my experience as well. Keep at it, good luck!

Swimming!