Swimming a Mom's Life
Swimming. For me I grew up in the water. I was always in swim lessons and the town pool. One thing most people don't know is, I was a Synchronized Swimmer up until college. I competed Nationally and almost went to college for it. I ended up walking on to the UMASS Division I Swim team. Proving that Synchronized Swimming makes for a great competitive swimmer, especially backstroke! Had women's Water Polo been around then, that would have been my calling.
All of us on the UMASS Swim team spent our Summers lifeguarding on Cape Cod, MA. To this day, I will always cherish those Summers. Before completing my Masters in Architecture, I went to HI for a year where I learned to surf and competed in rough water ocean swims. I body boarded on all the local breaks, even the North Shore. That was the closest I ever came to death getting caught inside by a mammoth set. I have tremendous respect for the power of the ocean. I then competed in off road triathlons called Xterras. I placed top in the Nation and competed Pro for a year. As a grand finale, I competed at the final Eco-Challenge in Fiji. It was a 24hr a day/10 day race swimming across 70 rivers, river kayaking, ocean kayaking, building your own bill-bili raft and numerous other sports. Check and check!
Now as a mom to Aura and Tudor, I swim with the NBA North Bay Aquatics in Marin, CA. I love this 'team.' I'm not in the fast lanes anymore, but it doesn't matter. I cherish every second in the water. It is an escape from reality for me. A place where all I can hear is the water and look up a see the sky. It's like being caught in the moment where nothing else matters but, that moment. Swimming brings me peace and happiness. I can't wait to teach my little ones how to swim, ok maybe a little Synchro for Aura!
A funny note on the photos above: I was saying at my cousin's in Napa for the week, drove down an hour, dropped Tudor off at Nursery school, nursed Aura in the car, dropped her off to my nanny, phoned a friend to bring a suit for me and finally swam with only one contact lens!
What's your escape? I would love to hear from you!