Learning to Swim

“Ok, Robin,” Miss Kenzie said as she waded out into the lake. “We’re going to start easy first.”

Robin nodded. She took a deep breath and followed her camp counselor into the lake. Her foot sank into the mud and the pebbles. A huge mud cloud stirred up in the clear, shallow water. Robin followed Miss Kenzie into the deeper part of the lake. The cool lake water stung her chest.

“Don’t worry,” Miss Kenzie said. “We can stop at any time, ok?”

“Ok,” Robin said.

They waded further into the water. It reached just below her shoulders, and her bright green t-shirt started to fill up with air below. A huge bubble broke out, bubbling up around them. Robin and Miss Kenzie laughed. The lake water rippled around them, and a few campers splashed in the shallower part. Other kids jumped off the big inflatable slide, giggling as they bounced down into the lake. Robin grinned, watching as her friends slid and bounced down.

“Let’s start with a float,” Miss Kenzie said. “First, I want you to do it with me, then you’ll try it on your own.”

Robin nodded.

“On the count of three, ready?”

“Yes.”

“One,” Miss Kenzie counted. “Two, three!”

On three, Miss Kenzie lifted Robin up from the lake bottom. Her toes and legs floated up, and Robin clutched onto her counselor tightly. She closed her eyes and started to sink back down. Everything felt wrong.

“Robin,” Miss Kenzie said. “Can you use your goggles, and look down at the bottom of the lake for me? Blow some bubbles and try it out.”

Robin put her face in the water. Bubbles tickled her face as she looked down at the small pebbles. A few of them sparkled in the sunlight, as if the entire lake bottom was made of gold. Robin wondered for a moment if there was a secret treasure hidden at the bottom of the lake. She came up for air, and let her feet sink slowly back down to the bottom.

“Ready to try on your own?”

“Yes!” Robin grinned. Miss Kenzie walked her through it, and slowly, Robin pushed herself up. Miss Kenzie held her up for a moment, before carefully letting go. Looking down once again, Robin floated by herself for a few seconds. A small fish darted by, swimming toward the middle of the lake. Robin counted all the sparkling rocks at the bottom, eyeing a beautiful blue and green stone, before popping her head back up. “Can I try to pick something off the bottom?” Robin asked.

“Of course!” Miss Kenzie said. “I’ll be right here if you need me!”

Robin dove under, reaching for the small green and blue rock. She plucked it off the bottom, and handed it to Miss Kenzie. “Can you hold this for me?”

Miss Kenzie nodded. “Ready to practice swimming?”

“Yes!”

Miss Kenzie and Robin practiced their kicks and paddles, making sure to look down at the bottom of the lake. Robin kept her eye on the shining rocks, counting them as she swam, all while Miss Kenzie held tightly onto her. They stayed in the shallow section, so if Robin was scared, she could easily put her feet on the ground.

After a few more minutes practicing strokes and floats in the cool lake water, Miss Kenzie stopped. “I think we’re ready to test your skills,” she said.

“What does that mean?” Robin asked.

“We’re going to try an easier version of the swim test,” Miss Kenzie explained. “If you pass this test, we’ll only have a few more days of practice this week.”

“Really?” Robin frowned.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Miss Kenzie said. “It’s all up to you.”

Robin thought for a moment. She looked out at the giant slide in the middle, watching her friends slide down and cheer, swimming to the platform. Everyone else around her splashed each other, giggling, chasing each other with ease. Robin imagined herself with them, not worried about her small fear of water. She thought about arriving home at the end of the summer, eager to show her grandparents her brand new skills. She grinned, imagining how proud of her they would be. “Let’s do it,” she said. “I want to try.”

“All right.” Miss Kenzie smiled.

Miss Kenzie waved to Miss Jenny, one of the other camp counselors. She was sitting on the lakeshore, building a sand and pebble castle with another camper. Jenny looked up, and grinned, swimming out to meet them. They moved to the deeper section of the swimming area, where not many campers swam. Miss Jenny swam to the other side, holding onto the bright yellow buoy and rope near her.

“It’s just like we practiced,” Miss Kenzie explained. “Remember how we did this yesterday with Miss Jenny?”

Robin nodded. They had swam in the shallower part, where Robin could touch the ground if she needed to.

“If you can swim from me to Miss Jenny and back again, you’ve passed the first test of swimming,” Miss Kenzie explained. “Then we’ll keep coming back to this skill and practicing it over and over and over again until you’re confident enough.”

Robin nodded. She smiled, and looked down toward Miss Jenny. The length seemed to stretch for miles and miles, but Robin shook her head. She could do this. It wasn’t that far.

Miss Kenzie counted down from three, and Robin pushed off her, using all of the skills she practiced that week.

She moved her arms forward and made sure her legs pointed in the other direction. She looked down at the bottom of the lake, taking breaths when she needed too.

Robin didn’t even stop when she reached Miss Jenny.

She turned herself around, just like Miss Kenzie taught her, and looked up at the blue sky for a moment, before rolling onto her stomach again. Her bubbles tickled her nose and her arms, but that didn’t stop her from swimming.

Robin made it back to Miss Kenzie, grabbing her hands. Miss Kenzie cheered with pride. They swam back to the shallow part. Miss Kenzie hugged Robin. “I am so proud of you!” she cried. “You’ll be swimming with your friends in no time!”