Website design By BotEap.com“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone” – Albert Einstein.

Website design By BotEap.comAfter some time of reflecting on this Einstein quote, I realized that Einstein was not only referring to a sports game, but also life and work experiences. My lifestyle choice as a swimmer started when I was around 12 years old. I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere and swimming just meant cooling off in the river on our farm. The farm was too far from the city for us to be high school students. Going to high school meant boarding school.

Website design By BotEap.comIn my first year of high school, I did gymnastics, but I hurt my ankle and I felt condemned because I really wanted to take gymnastics further. Physical training in the 1970s meant exactly that: every child in school, regardless of ability, had to run across the field, play rugby, track and field, swim, gymnastics, hockey, and whatever other sport was available. (I think that nowadays it is optional in schools to play sports).

Website design By BotEap.comThe school pool did not have heaters, which made swimming a summer-only activity as the winters were quite cold. There was also no swimming team in 1978 and, in general, most of the students were looking for a way out to swimming. It wasn’t the case for me: I was in heaven as soon as my body hit the water.

Website design By BotEap.comThis is where my love for water and swimming began. At first, I was just swimming during the weird hour during the PT. Our boarding school routine included afternoon break, study hall, an hour of sports, showering, dinner, studying late, and lights out; of course, for each activity a bell rang. As a water addict, one hour of swimming in PT was not enough for me. I wanted more, so when all the athletes went to the track field, I went back to the pool on my own to train some more. There was no Coach, no program, just the pool and the endless stretches of swimming.

Website design By BotEap.comSoon the two sessions a day weren’t enough either and I started staying after school for the break before study hall. 45-minute training session, rush out to make study hall just in time. The Western Province of South Africa is a very hot and dry place in summer. We didn’t have the luxury of air conditioners in study room, just those huge ceiling fans that went “Whoop, whoop” all the time and hardly cooled anyone down. Swimming for 45 minutes before study hall was great – while everyone else was sweating, I felt refreshed and was able to focus on studying in the heat.

Website design By BotEap.comOne day, during one of my training sessions, a teacher arrived at the school swimming pool with her two children, about 7 and 5 years old. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach (the kind you feel when you get on an elevator) when the teacher arrived and I thought she was going to report me to the Director of the Boarding School. To my surprise, we started talking and she told me that she took a coaching course, so if I want, she could train with her two sons. That was music to my ears. The rest became history.

Website design By BotEap.comThat was 37 years ago. The only times I haven’t swum in these 37 years, was when I had injuries, I broke my fingers, a broken leg and I was expecting my baby. Oh, not to forget the times that he left at 2 in the morning for work and only got home at 9:00 at night as a representative. Needless to say, I went to the pool every chance I got, regardless of the circumstances, depending on pool availability of course.

Website design By BotEap.comReflecting on this swimming life, professional life, and now the Swim Mom job title, I realize that swimming brings more to the table than just being active, feeling great due to exercise, and of course weight control. Success in swimming leads to greater success in life. You just need to love the sport and in my opinion it will contribute to your lifestyle, career and everything else in the following ways:

1. Set goals and objectives and work to achieve them.
2. Plan your life and live your plan.
3. Don’t procrastinate.
4. Keep records and interpret results.
5. Adjust your plan when necessary.
6. Swim faster and you’ll have more time to rest; work smart and you will have free time for personal activities.
7. Do it correctly, then it’s easy; Whatever task you undertake, usually if you work smart and right, you make the job easier. If you execute the strokes correctly, it will facilitate the distances that you have to train.
8. Keep your routine.
9. Do what you love.
10. Enjoy what you do and the results will speak for themselves.