I’m not good at many things, especially swimming. You might say that I struggle at it…significantly. Since August 2007 I’ve been swimming with the Mission Viejo Nadadores Master Swim Program and since the new year I’ve been attending practice 3 days a week. That’s a whole lot of swimming.
The people that show up to practice all come fairly consistently. Over the last 6 months I’ve developed incredible relationships with a bunch of the folk, especially, Mike, Rick, Blane and Adam. All 4 of them are better swimmers than me yet not a practice goes by where one of them doesn’t jump into my lane to offer some advice. Past the pool and the locker room, I don’t know these guys, but I should, and could. If I’m honest I actually hate swimming, I loathe it. The relationships with these dudes is powerful though, I feel their encouragement and it presses me forwarded, I want to come to practice to hang with them. Mike and Rick so badly want to come to my race next weekend just to support me but can’t because of family stuff. That is freakin cool.
Mike – 100x Ironman super star. Runs 22 miles before work.
Rick – Dude swims with a snorkel, enuf said.
Adam – Fastest guy in the pool with killa abs.
Blane – Working on his second half Ironman.
Mike and I really connect. He is trying to qualify for Kona yet he totally puts himself on my beginner level as a way to encourage me. He knows where I have been and is a bunch of steps ahead. Last week we swam in our wet suits in the 50 meter pool. He swam beside me, in front of me, behind me, all to mimic what I would experience in the hectic water. That goes beyond being pool buddies, these guys want to see me succeed in my goal.
In the future, I want to be an encouragement to someone else like they have been to me.
Thanks guys for being so cool, you don’t know what it means to me,
Andy B
outsideallday.com
