Learning to Swim (Captain Kirk)

— College — Advanced Swimming class

Master Registry #29 | It’s Never Too Late, Jump In and Figure It Out

Status: COMPLETE

Setting: College, Advanced Swimming class

My parents had four children — one son (me) and three daughters. They believed in consistency: the same rules for everyone. No dating until 18. No wearing shorts, for modesty. And no swimming. We went “wading.” Crossing rivers. In jeans.

I didn’t know how to swim. I almost drowned three times.

The worst was in a pool. I’d learned a trick: push off hard from one wall, hold my breath (I could hold it over two minutes), and glide to the other side. It worked in short pools. But this time, I picked my head up to see if I was close to the wall. That slowed me down. I stopped just out of arm’s reach of the edge.

I couldn’t swim. Not even a stroke. I was motionless in the water, my breath running out, unable to close that last two feet. I decided not to let the breath out of my body. I went still. I waited. Eventually my father noticed and asked someone to help me.

In college, I decided this was unacceptable. I couldn’t imagine getting married and not being able to save my wife if she fell in the water. The thought was intolerable.

So I signed up for Advanced Swimming.

First day, Coach Kirk (whom I immediately called “Captain,” because of course I did) pulled me aside.

“You don’t know how to swim, do you?”

“No, sir. But I’m a fast learner, and I don’t quit.”

He explained that 9 of the 12 students in the class were already lifeguards. This wasn’t just advanced swimming — it was a lifeguard certification course. He suggested I take a different class.

I insisted.

“Okay,” he said. “If you can swim across the full length of the pool — Olympic length — you can stay.”

I thought about the moment I’d almost drowned. The stillness. The miscalculation. The two feet I couldn’t close.

I swam across the pool.

I got an A in the course. And I got my lifeguard certification.

A few months later, I got my scuba diving certification too.

From “almost drowned three times” to certified lifeguard and scuba diver. Because it’s never too late to start.

Key Details:

  • Signed up for ADVANCED swimming without knowing how to swim
  • Coach “Captain” Kirk — 9 of 12 students were already lifeguards
  • Challenge: swim across Olympic-length pool to stay in class
  • Result: Got an A, earned lifeguard certification, later scuba certification

Key Lesson: Jump in. Figure it out. Don’t go around — go THROUGH. It’s never too late to start.

Best Used For: Learning by doing, courage to start before you’re ready, overcoming impossible odds