When Dorothy was 2 years old, she convinced her parents she needed swimming lessons as soon as possible. Specifically, she got into a hotel jacuzzi (during their Disneyland vacation) while each parent thought the other “had” her. They had known since she could walk that she would jump fearlessly into the deep end of the pool whenever she had the chance. There were some heart-stopping moments that particular afternoon as they rushed back to the pool area and saw a mop of blonde hair floating in the bubbles.
Her father reached down and grabbed the always petite little girl by the hair. As soon as she was above water, she drew a deep breath in a calm and studied manner. It was as if she was thinking, “My, that was a long time to hold my breathe.” She never once cried or acted distressed. And she never stopped jumping in the deep end.
Where Dorothy’s family lived, in Livermore, California, the children could begin swimming lessons at age 3. Her parents signed up her, her older sister, and her younger brother for three 2 week sessions a summer. They also spent many summer afternoons and evenings at the community pools during open swim, to help make up for their lack of air conditioning in the blistering heat. Dorothy had mastered all the swim lesson levels and completed life guard training by age 15. From ages 16-21, she worked every summer as a life guard. She also taught swim lessons during that time.
Life guard certification involved a 500 meter swim test. Her first test was the first time she had ever swum that distance without stopping. It was harder than she thought it would be, so she took up occasion lap swimming. She never knew when the life guard training staff would decide on an impromptu swim test…
Over those same years, Dorothy spent quite a few days playing in the warm spring fed lake near the family’s vacation condo. The 75 meter long lake could easily be seen from the deck of the condo. Once in a while, Dorothy and her older sister would swim the length of the lake. However, Dorothy never swam competitively, nor was she ever a fast swimmer. Now, at the age of 27, she has only been swimming periodically for the past few years.
Dorothy is my niece. She came to visit last week and I invited her to try out my Tuff Pool with Endless Pool Fastlane current generator. She thought that was a wonderful idea. When she was done, I asked if she would tell me what is was like for her.
- She first swam lap style for about 10 minutes. The current was set too fast, so she slowed it down. Then, she tried the breast stroke. It wasn’t long before she switched to the crawl stroke to be able to go faster.
- She thought it was harder to breath at first, because of the movement of the water, but it wasn’t difficult to adjust to. She had some trouble drifting to the side, and liked using the mirror on the bottom to help her stay aligned. The mirror also validated how she had been teaching swimming lessons all those years, and helped her refine her own stroke.
- She thought kicking felt the same as in a regular pool, but the hands felt some “push backward” from the current even as she was pulling the water to stay moving forward. The made her try to make her stroke bigger.
- Dorothy did not have any trouble with motion sickness. After “lap” swimming, her 17 and 19 year old cousins got in the pool with her (my daughters). They all turned the current generator to the fastest speed possible. At this speed, they could barely make it up the length of the pool, and then only if they began their attempt with a strong leg push-off from the back end of the pool.
now for play time in the pool - During this time, Dorothy tested the side, or return, current and found it to be the perfect place to do a relaxed side stroke.
The unequivocal conclusion for Dorothy is that she wants her own swimming pool just like mine. It might not be something that can be arranged in the near future, though, so she might have to come visit more often. Swimming in the Fastlane can be addictive.
