It's Official: I can swim

Years back I had this urge of learning swimming during my brief stays at Singapore. That urge saw some light in one of the visits. It couldn't blossom and I ended up being a ‘semi-swimmer’. In sense I could swim but never above the water and never for long distances. I could swim at a stretch without any gaseous exchange, using the last atom of oxygen available within me to burn the calories. I wouldn't dare to come up and inhale. Simple, if I do, I drown. Things didn't improve even after repeated trails and I, for once wished I could inhale the dissolved oxygen.

Much has changed since then but the desire to emulate a fish still remained intact. My second learning session (once a week) to become a ‘complete-swimmer’ started a month and a half ago. My coach was wonderful, teaching me with a heightened patience. He has always been positive that I would swim one day in front of him though I had some nagging doubts about my breathing technique and whether or not I could swim on any day.

The day finally reckoned. I swam 10 laps in less than 30 minutes and I, with a flashing smile splashed the water with my hands and screamed to myself “I can swim”; courtesy my coach. It’s official. He declared that I can swim now. How glad am I!!