Yesterday I went swimming. I go swimming every Thursday. Every Thursday I wake up with a sense of pleasure that it’s swimming day.
I am lucky enough to attend one of the only two non hospital yet affordable Hydrotherapy Pools in the UK. What a privilege! At swimming, every one of us has some defect, a funny shape, a life induced deformity of some kind. Some of these conditions are temporary – they will get better after some months. Others have permanent damage done to us by life itself. The doctor has sent us there.
We are a cheery bunch! We ALL feel privileged. We are all “funny” in some way. There is no judgment as to looks, age, shape or dexterity in the art of swimming. Our swimming is something very personal to each participant. Each are doing their own kind of swimming – aka – exercises.
The fastest does 100 laps of backstroke using her right leg and right arm only, with the paralysed side neatly tucked in for streamlining. The slowest floats around in the water, supported by two nurses.
Us lot (men and women) – do our own thing, arms or legs, or backs, or shoulders. There are no classes – we teach each other. And we have fun. We are unified in overcoming adversity the best way – by laughing a lot and making bloody fools of ourselves.
The Last Furlong 