When I was 40 years old, I made a promise to myself that I was going to learn how to swim. I was tired of allowing my fear of deep water to dominate me, preventing me from enjoying jumps in the ocean or lake while boating with friends, or even snorkeling without a buoyancy aid.

In my 40s, just as I had done before, I began, but I sabotaged myself and found all the reasons to quit, which, of course, I did. This year, 2023, I decided to give it another shot. I completed level 1 at the YMCA, and by May, I was able to swim 25 meters. This was a great accomplishment, but I found myself completely out of breath when reaching the other side of the pool.

Around the same time, I finished reading "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins, which became a source of inspiration. On that very day, I registered myself for the Triathlon in Vancouver, scheduled for September 4th. The race involves a 750-meter swim, and although it's just a week away, the primary reason for this blog post is a recent shift in my mindset.

In the past week, I managed to make a significant leap, going from swimming 137 meters non-stop to 822 meters and 917 meters with only a few brief stops in the ocean. This progress is astonishing, and it all happened within a single week.

I've been consistently training since May, typically four times a week. I've participated in group classes and even had a private lesson. Additionally, I've received help from friends in the pool and support from amazing professionals who follow me on Instagram.

During this journey, a friend mentioned a super sprint triathlon in the Seattle region with a 400-meter swim. I saw this as an opportunity to measure myself and potentially build the confidence to tackle the 750-meter swim.

To keep it brief, I participated in the super sprint a week ago, and the 400-meter swim was quite challenging for me. I ranked 74th out of 81 participants, and the fear of the upcoming 750-meter swim became all too real. Over the past week, I've taken time to analyze my performance and the reasons behind it. The answers were clear: Fear, anxiety, and most significantly, old beliefs. I realized that I had been feeding into my old belief system, talking to myself as if I were a beginner who couldn't swim, someone who couldn't learn to breathe properly, and convincing myself that it wasn't easy. This negative self-talk persisted throughout my training. I lacked self-belief and battled intense anxiety, afraid of failing and not completing the race.

Don't misunderstand, I'm compassionate with myself because I know it's a process. It was my first triathlon, and the presence of so many swimmers around me, constantly kicking, was indeed intimidating. However, I've come to understand that facing my raw fears head-on is the path to gaining confidence and self-worth.

Last Friday, I decided to swim at a pool with a 137-meter length and complete six laps, totalling 822 meters with only minimal breaks. I not only achieved this goal but also finished with the sensation that I could have gone for another 2-3 laps. So, what changed? My thoughts during swimming. I shifted from "I don't know how to swim" and "Swimming is hard" to "I know how to swim," "I just need to relax and stay calm," and "It doesn't matter how fast others are going;

take your time, swim at your own pace." When I recognized the power of this change automatically I started to believe in myself and I found myself literally smiling in the water. It was one of the most beautiful feelings I've experienced this year, especially when I realized how my thoughts had been holding me back.

The next day, I went for my first open water swim in the ocean with a couple of friends. Once again, I achieved a significant milestone by swimming 900 meters with only a few breaks—mostly to decide on the distance and direction. This practice mirrored the race conditions and left me more confident than ever that I will complete my Sprint triathlon.

As of August 25th, 2023, I can proudly say: I know how to swim!