The Day I Swam 23 Lengths!

Today I went to the swimming pool and it was absolutely freezing!

Not just a little bit cold. It was the kind of cold where you get in and your whole body goes, “NO THANK YOU!” I nearly wanted to get straight back out, but then I thought, actually, if I swim, I might warm up.

So that is what I did.

And then I accidentally turned it into a massive challenge.

My Big Swimming Challenge

Before today, the most I had ever swum in one swimming session was about 7 lengths. That already felt like quite a lot to me, because swimming is harder than it looks. You have to use your arms, your legs, your breathing, and also try not to swallow pool water, which is disgusting.

But today I wanted to push myself.

I decided I was going to see how many lengths I could do in one hour. I felt really excited because I love beating my own records. It makes me feel like I am in a sports film, except with goggles and wet hair stuck to my face.

At first, I felt strong. I kept swimming and counting my lengths. The water was still cold, but I was moving so much that I didn’t feel as freezing anymore.

Then I started getting tired.

Really tired.

It Got Harder and Harder

After a while, my arms felt heavy and my legs were starting to say, “Ever, please stop now.” But my brain was saying, “No, we are doing this!”

I kept going.

By the time I got to about 18 lengths, I realised something a bit scary. I only had 10 minutes left.

That meant I still had 5 lengths to go if I wanted to reach 23.

Now, 5 lengths in 10 minutes might sound easy for some people. But remember, I had already done 18 lengths, which was way more than I had ever done before. Also, I am 9, so I do need to breathe sometimes!

My dad told me I could have a 20 second break between lengths, but no more than that. So I would get to the end, breathe for a tiny bit, then push off again.

It felt like the clock was going super fast on purpose.

The Last Few Lengths

With only 2 minutes left, I still had 3 lengths to do.

That was when I knew I had to swim as hard and as fast as I could.

My lungs felt like they were on fire. My arms and legs felt like they might just fall off and float away. I was so out of breath, but I really, really wanted to finish my challenge.

I didn’t want to give up when I was so close.

So I kept going.

I kicked my legs, moved my arms, and tried not to think too much about how tired I was. I just kept thinking, “One more length. One more length. One more length.”

And guess what?

I Did It!

I finished 23 lengths with 15 seconds to spare!

I was so excited and proud of myself. I couldn’t believe I had gone from doing about 3 lengths before, to doing 23 in one session. That is a lot more!

I felt tired, puffed out, and a bit wobbly, but mostly I felt happy because I had challenged myself and didn’t give up.

My favourite bit was finishing at the very end and knowing I had actually done it.

Next time, I wonder if I can beat 23 lengths.

Maybe 24?

Or maybe I should let my arms recover first.

Love,
Ever x