Tomorrow I start my new job as a swim teacher

I have been a swimmer all of my life.  I mostly swam under water until my mom and dad signed me up for YMCA swim team.  I had no idea what that meant, but I soon learned to swim on top of the water.  And found my first love. 

I competitively swam for the Y team, AAU team in the summers, and then high school team.  I was completely immersed in the swimming world, helping at the boys' swim meets (and some of them I had a crush on of course).  And a friend and I helped our Y coach to coach the little kids at the Y too.  

I soon found my second love, running, during my sophomore year of high school.  I liked track and LOVED cross country running.  Our team was the first girls' cross country team...in our town.  Running felt like flying to me.  I love to fly.

I continued to run and swim off and on during college, and after graduation.  I took almost 15 years off from what I loved due to work and family commitments.  After my kids grew up, I started to run seriously again.  I swam some, just enough to get through the swim part of triathlons.  Then my knee became damaged enough (bone on bone)...so I went back to swimming.  After all, swimming is easy on the joints, so how hard could it be?

Well, in my15 year or so break from swimming, the freestyle stroke totally changed.  So did the other strokes.  I took a couple of classes and did many workouts on my own, to try to figure out all of the changes.  Unfortunately my balance and stroke worsened due to the rotation etc that was required for the new freestyle.  So I joined the Masters swim team at  our health club.  I swam with them for a year, which helped a lot. 

I then joined Coach Eric's FAST masters team in January 2018.  I also took a bunch of lessons with Coach Eric and worked on the drills to fix my stroke.  My stroke is better - but it is a work in progress.  I am a perfectionist so my stroke being a work in progress is very frustrating.  I continue with my lessons with Coach Eric to get my stroke to "perfection"...perfect for me anyway.  Who knows if my stroke will get there, but I won't give up on that possibility.

As I have been swimming seriously for the last 2 years or so, I rediscovered my first love.  I love the feeling of being in the water, propelling through the water (kind of "flying" through the water I guess), and accomplishing my goals for the workout.  I also love the team aspect of swimming - it so fun to work out with fellow swimmers.  I love the energy of it.  

My desire to share my love of swimming, help others to swim and be confident in the water has returned too.  That's something I lost connection with over the years.  That's where the Splash swim school fits in..that new job that starts tomorrow.

In late 2018, I emailed the Splash swim school about getting some training to be a swim teacher.  After a couple of conversations and a couple of interviews, I became their newest swim teacher.  It is a huge leap of faith on both sides.  I have only taught a handful of people how to swim and coached little kids ions ago.  So hopefully this will be a fruitful endevour for the both of us.  

I am excited.  I am terrified.  I am hopeful.  And I will chronicle my journey as a beginner and developing swim teacher.  

So here goes!! Jumping into the deep end!!