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Personal fear of swimming
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When I was a university student about two years ago, I enrolled in a scuba diving course. My scuba diving teacher had a big surprise: I didn’t know how to swim. In fact, I had a big fear of water. When I was a child, my parents tried to help me, so they made me take many swimming courses. Although I tried hard, I did not learn to swim. When I enrolled in the scuba diving course, I was still afraid of water. Every day when I entered the swimming pool, I battled with my fear. Fortunately, my courage won every time. Finally, one day while I was practising my dive, I realized that I did very well. So, finally, after six months of hard work, I completed the course. It is true that I was always the worst of the group, but in my own evaluation,
I smiled to myself and decided that I would go join in. With that, I took a huge deep breath and jumped into the salty water. The water was cool and refreshing; I felt it slide through my hair making it sway in the water. I swam deeper and deeper into the deep blue water. Sunlight streamed through it, lighting up the water around me turning it to gold. I kicked harder and I felt my muscles surge with strength and I pushed further. My lunges began to burn for the need of oxygen, but I refused to go up. I repeatedly told myself just a little bit longer. Until I was unable to proceed anymore without more air in my lungs, I swam to the top of the water taking a huge breaths, filling my lungs with air. I could then taste the salty water as it ran down my face and dripped over my lips. Just then I thought, I will never forget this moment, this place, or the experiences I felt while visiting
I have been swimming year-round on a club team since the age of six and when I was younger improving came relatively easily. However, around age 13, I hit a training plateau despite having the same work ethic and focus that I had previously had. I grew to despise swimming and at points I wanted to quit. However, unlike Junior, I had role models and mentors who were positive influences on me and who helped me to overcome this challenge. Primarily, I had several of my best friends on the team who convinced me to keep persevering and to not simply quit the sport that I loved so much just because I was no longer dropping time. For example, every day I watch my close friends Lizanne and Cate come to practice and give it their all, regardless of the numerous injuries and medical issues that plagued their swimming career; their positive outlook and dedication motivated me to try even harder than I had before. Moreover, I had by parents, something that Junior did not have; my parents were always there to support me after yet another disappointing meet reminding me that “you get five minutes for a win and five minutes for a lost”. My parents where my voice of reason as I tried to work through my issues; they were always there to encourage me, but also were very honest with me
Forty hands shot up pointing towards the bottom of the old twisty slide following the long dreadful whistle no one ever wants to hear. Two other lifeguards and I jumped up off the shaded break bench and rushed towards the scene with the heavy backboard and AED bag in hand. The routine save played like a movie through my head as I arrived. I stopped. I knew from there on out this wasn't going to be emotionally an easy save. It wasn't a child who swallowed too much water or an adult who got nervous because they forgot how to swim, it was a fellow lifeguard, a friend.
Ever since I was a young student, teachers knew that I was not a normal kid. These teachers saw qualities in me that they could not see in many students at that age level. They saw a child who had a profound love to know more and had the ambition of a decorated Olympic swimmer to learn not just the material that was being taught but why it is being taught and how I can I use this information to make people’s lives better. Fast-forward to today, and you can clearly see that not much has changed except my determination to learn and my love to help others has done nothing but expanded.
“They set a bomb off in the base,” she explained looking terrified. “Then they raided it and made sure that not a single one of us had escaped. I was lucky not to be there when it happened. I am even more lucky that they didn’t hunt me down.” She tipped the motorcycle over and hid it with some brush. “Follow me,” she demanded.
I love camping and spending time outside, but this summer I had a completely new experience when I visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Before leaving, I had very little knowledge of the Boundary Waters. After getting advice from friends and purchasing some special equipment, I realized that camping there was going to be much more complicated than I had thought.
I am adventurous. No I don't sky dive, wrestle crocodiles, or swim with sharks, but when asked by a group of friends to go cliff diving last summer, my best response was, “Sounds like fun!” I had never been afraid of heights yet have never experienced the thrill of cliff diving. All I could ask myself was, “What could go wrong?”
This past summer, my family and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We had just docked at the second port, Nassau, and were preparing to exit the gigantic ship named the Carnival Fantasy. Once we got to the city, I noticed it was bustling with people of all different backgrounds and cultures. The roads were narrow and some even hilly. I remember coming to the conclusion that a lot of people in the Bahamas must have road rage what from the blaring car horns I could hear around every corner. My family and I were walking along the sidewalk, glancing into shops as we passed them. The weather was unbearably hot, but growing up in South Carolina allowed my family and I to push onward with our adventure. The sun burn on my back started to pulsate in pain any time the sunlight hit it, so we decided to stick to the side of the buildings that provided shade.
From a young age, I knew that I wanted a career in the medical field. The thought of potentially saving a life and helping other people made healthcare very appealing to me. I was exposed to first aid techniques early on by my father, and it became a large part of my life as I went on to complete several first aid courses and eventually become a lifeguard. My current job as a lifeguard is something that I enjoy wholeheartedly. There is a huge amount of responsibility that comes with keeping patrons safe and that is not an aspect of all part-time jobs. One particular experience allowed me to realize that helping others is what I am meant to do and showed me how rewarding it really is.
said, “Every time you dive, you hope you'll see something new - some new species. Sometimes the ocean gives you a gift, sometimes it doesn't.” As you are swimming under the ocean, imagine the sparkle of the water as you look up the surface from a hundred feet below; floating along with the current, slowly and deeply breathing while observing the sea life. Continue to imagine the ability to remain underwater for an hour or more, just swimming and observing the ocean. This is the life of a scuba diver. Many people think of Scuba Diving as a swim in the water, but in reality it is a very dangerous, and potentially fatal sport and activity. There are many types of Scuba
On my sixteenth birthday, my friends--we call ourselves The Crew--gave me the best gift ever. They combined two of my favorite things--the TV show, Law and Order, and Taylor Swift--and created a mini movie. The first time I watched it, and every time since, I crack up laughing. It is the funniest, quirkiest creation I have ever seen and it’s a fantastic representation of how thoughtful and loving my friends truly are.
Outside, I lay on a picnic table and look up at the blue sky at my campsite and wait for my friends to pick me up. I text them on my stupid LG asking where they are. Noah texted me back, “We are on our way”. So I go back inside my camper to see if I got everything, and I thought I got everything. Then I hear a car pull up and I grab my phone and bag and went outside.I got in their car and Noah’s mom greeted me. Then we took off to Lake Michigan!
Have you ever had a moment in time that seems like minutes or hours even though it was only a few seconds? Have you ever seen everything before you play out in slow motion, where you are aware of everything around you, yet not knowing what was going on? I have, and as I look back on it, I feel very blessed and protected. On March 21, 1987, I decided to take a little swim in our swimming pool and almost drowned.
Thin air encompasses me as I commence the final day of skiing at Vail, Colorado. Seven days of skiing elapse rather painlessly; I fall occasionally but an evening in the Jacuzzi soothes my minor aches. Closing time approaches on the final day of our trip as I prepare myself for the final run of the vacation. Fresh off the ski lift, I coast toward the junction of trails on the unoccupied expert face of the mountain. After a moment of thought, I confidently select a narrow trail so steep that only the entrance can be seen from my viewpoint.
An event in my life that is memorable would be when my Uncle Bob and I decided to go scuba diving. In our adventure, Uncle Bob was bitten by a five-foot bull shark and later at 70ft below sea level he ran out of air. These events have taught me that scuba diving can be a dangerous activity, that I must be aware of my surroundings, to refresh my scuba training and to remember safety techniques.