You can’t just jump in after almost 20 years and swim laps like an Olympic gold medalist. And let’s be honest, looking in the mirror, I didn’t look like one either in my not-so-flattering one piece.

Who am I? I’m Karlie, a 28-year-old, who isn’t the best in the water. In 2019, on holiday in Bali I was caught in a rip, this scared me and shook my water confidence. I realised that I was not a strong swimmer. With the summer season fast approaching I wanted to be confident in the water, improve my swimming ability and incorporate swimming in my weekly exercise. So, I signed up to BaySwim’s Adult Swimming Lessons at Baywave.

Arriving at the pool, I felt a mixture of excitement and nerves. Don’t get me wrong, I can keep myself afloat, but I lack technique, stamina and can’t for the life of me figure out how to swim freestyle and breathe at the same time! The BaySwim team immediately put me at ease and had me excited to jump in the pool.

So, what did I learn in my first lesson? I learnt that kicking comes from the hips, not the knees and feet – that was a revelation. I simply needed to kick in a relaxed manner from the hips, with a slight knee bend (not the log-like type of kicking I seemed to be doing) at a rate that I was comfortable with. Vesna, our instructor, was informative and encouraging. I could immediately tell that I was quite stiff and fought against the water. I know it sounds cliché, but I need to learn to ‘become one with the water’.

I am excited to gain confidence, technique and stamina. Swimming lessons are not just for children; it is incredible how much you can forget after years out of the pool. If you want to get back into swimming, build confidence, work on your technique or be safer in the water, follow my BaySwim Adult Swimming Lesson journey weekly. See you in the pool!

Click here to read Week 2 of Karlie's Swimming Journey