By Kate O'Halloran. Topic: Swimming. For many Australian adults, being unable to swim can be a source of embarrassment. Supplied: Lorraine Harrison. It's a scorching hot Melbourne summer's day when the question I'm dreading arises. People often take this to mean I'm not very good at it. But what I really mean is that I can't float, can't doggy paddle, and don't know how to "breathe" while trying to do freestyle. Telling someone you can't swim is deeply embarrassing, especially when you grew up in Australia.
But apparently it's not all that uncommon, with one in four Australians classified as having "poor" or no swimming ability.
But surely you wouldn't drown? I felt so inadequate in the face of those questions that I started to avoid water at all costs. It'd be OK, I reasoned, if I just avoided beaches, boats, pools, the oceanβ¦. One in four Australians are classified as having 'poor' swimming ability. But it wasn't until I confessed to my friend Gai, a year-old retired swim teacher, that it was decided I'd finally do something about it. Gai insisted on twice-weekly lessons, starting with the basics, in a judgement-free zone.
And so began my summer of learning to swim as an adult. Here's what I learned. Instead, Gai pulled me aside to talk through what we'd cover before my feet even touched the water. Given my palms sweat when I catch a whiff of chlorine, this was a blessing. It's also an evidence-based approach, according to Joanne Love, a former Paralympic coach who ran a swim school in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg for over 20 years. For example, she'll give beginners a couple of kick boards, one under each arm, until they learn to feel the buoyancy of the water.
Love will then have them practice lifting their feet up and putting them back down on the floor of the pool. Joanne Love is a former Paralympic swim coach. Supplied: Joanne Love. There's also a need to temper expectations. Love says many adults expect to be swimming within a few lessons, especially if they've seen their children pick up the skill quickly.
