Penny is an artist who uses her creative side and imagination to express herself. She’s now using this opportunity with ASDNext to not only do that through art, but also blogging. For much of her life, she felt like the “quirky sidekick” stereotype in a movie, always doing what others expected of her. When she was diagnosed with autism later in life, that all began to change. This news was life changing and she knew it was time to rewrite her story. She’s no longer on the sidelines of this so-called movie that is her life, she’s the director, leading-lady, or whatever other part she needs to play to figure out who she REALLY is! Every small step toward authenticity is now a victory for her in this new stage of life.
View all postsFinding Calm in the Water: Level 1 Adult Swimming Lessons
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Open water has always been a major fear of mine. My family wasn’t the kind to go on regular beach trips, have pool memberships, kayak, or spend a day at some lake. My cousins had an above-ground pool that was shallow enough for me to stand in safely without the risk of drowning. Even after taking some water safety lessons with them, the best I could manage was a frantic dog paddle. As I got older, my anxiety about water only intensified. My lack of calm experiences just turned into fear, with no well-meaning reasoning from trusted friends or loved ones who COULD swim, ever helping me. The moment my ears, eyes, and nose were in the water, I would freak out, flailing around, making things worse until I was in desperate need of rescue. The fear was overwhelming, and I resigned myself to living my entire life unable to swim and with no way to learn. That is, until my friend Arlene shared her own inability to swim, and her recent push to change that, thanks to her positive experience with adult swimming lessons.
Just like me, she had a HUGE fear of water but decided to work on conquering it by taking adult swimming lessons at the YMCA. She shared her journey on social media, and the content she posted showed a woman who was determined and triumphant. She was IN the water, floating around, jumping in, and I couldn’t help but feel inspired. We chatted on the phone about her progress and all the detailed class information. As terrified as I was, I decided to sign up for the next set of adult lessons in March, as my friend Arlene moved on to Level 2 that same month I began. We promised to be each other’s cheerleaders along the way!
My first lesson was majorly anxiety-inducing. A part of my anxiety also came from attending the lesson alone (I ALWAYS struggle with the social aspects of any activity) while everyone else seemed to have brought a friend. Regardless, I arrived solo in my bathing suit, towel, and Crocs, with my glasses on, because there was NO WAY we were going underwater in our first lesson (spoiler warning: we go underwater in our first lesson). Adult lessons took place in the shallow pool, no more than 5 ft deep (similar to the one my cousin had growing up). We didn’t jump into the water from a high dive; we slowly got ourselves comfortable with the water. We learned to blow bubbles from our mouths and noses without sucking in air. Our instructor, Sarah, suggested that we mentally hum “Happy Birthday” with our mouths closed, allowing air to escape through our noses without letting it go UP our noses. This method worked so well that my mind exploded. The key aspect of being underwater I was missing all these years of my life was NOT to suck in the water. It sounds simple, but it was earth-shattering for me.
Each lesson helped to shrink my fear, allowing me to gain more confidence in the water. The instructor provided several safety options, like speed boards and float belts, which gave us a sense of security. The idea was that as we became more comfortable, we could gradually let go of the safety nets we clung to for dear life. We learned to float on our backs (something I’m not great at) and on our fronts (something I was much more comfortable with). We worked on flutter kicking WHILE floating, to help us cover short distances within our lanes.
If I felt nervous or unsure, I tried my best not to let it get to me. Reminding myself that I could stand up, much like a bathtub, was a go-to. Humming along with “Happy Birthday,” keeping water from flying up my nose. During Lesson #3, I was pleasantly surprised when my friend Arlene came to visit. It was so encouraging to see her friendly, familiar face! I had been texting her post-swim class with all my takes on what we were getting into.
As I write this, I am just two or three lessons away from completing the program. I feel less disoriented but still nervous each time. I channel my inner mermaid and show up with my head held high, wearing my swimsuit, towel, a Little Mermaid waterproof bag, and a swim cap covered in strawberries. To empower myself, I cover my calendar with mermaid stickers and motivational sayings like “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it!”
The last skill we learned was chasing diving rings by flinging them across the pool while standing in shallow water. The instructor demonstrated how to tip forward and swim underwater toward the ring. I had seen this done numerous times on television and in video games. Channeling that imagery, and starting in shallow water, I somehow had no real issue tackling this skill (am I REALLY becoming a mermaid?). I still struggle to float on my back, and have no idea how to tread deep water, but I am excited to keep progressing. I am also thankful for my friend Arlene, who encouraged me to take that first step and continued to encourage me to take the next step and the next step after that. The fear is still there in moments, but I am incredibly proud of how far I have come and hope to complete the program soon!
Penny
