Jo

But there’s one sport I’ve always shied away from: swimming.

The reason? I couldn’t swim, and over time, I developed a fear of the water.

I spent years sticking to the shallow end, treading water in the “deep” end of holiday pools as a teenager, holding onto the edge of the pool or throwing myself into water sports only when a life jacket was mandatory. I got pretty good at avoiding being out of my comfort zone in the water. This fear began when I was about 11 or 12. I was on an inflatable ring behind a speedboat when it flipped, trapping me underneath. I blacked out, and because I hadn’t learned to swim at this point, this experience wasn’t one I quickly parked and got over. It developed in a fear of having my head under water and this slowly built up over the years, developing a set of ‘rules’ for myself. 

1. I could swim if my head was out of the water 
2. I wouldn’t go into waves 
3. I could swim with my face in the water if I had a snorkel/something to breathe through 

To give you a bit of perspective, I once ran 5 marathons in 5 countries in 5 days. And honestly? Learning to swim has been a much bigger challenge for me.

Fast forward to December 2024.
After spending four months in Australia, I found myself reflecting on my fear during some in-service training at work. What would it mean to me if I could conquer this fear? I realised that if I broke it down into small, manageable goals and held myself accountable, maybe—just maybe—I could actually learn to swim.

I started with two swimming lessons on the basics (It turns out my coach was a former Olympic champion who essentially taught me how to blow bubbles). She was an amazing teacher, and with her help, I learned some fundamental techniques. So I began swimming twice a week for about three months. Just getting in the water and slowly building up the distance, in oceans pools and swimming pools. With constant encouragement from George and my friends, I can now proudly say I have swam 500 meters.

The first time I swam 500m at Manly Wharf Nets, I was so excited I thought I’d wake up half of Ireland by squeeling so loudly. 

So, what’s next?
A Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)—an ocean swim of 2.5 km.

I’m looking forward to diving deeper into my swimming journey. I know it won’t always be smooth sailing (pun intended) but I’m excited to improve and grow.

Taking on this challenge has taught me so much about myself, and now, being able to share this with other CANTOO swimmers is incredible.

I’ve already learned that things you once thought were impossible really are achievable, especially with positive self-talk, some discipline to get it done, and having other people to share the journey with. And having a BHAG to aim for makes it exciting and motivates me to turn up and just do it.

So, I’m asking for your support: Please donate whatever you can to CANTOO. Help others overcome their own challenges and break through life’s difficult roadblocks. Raising money for cancer research makes this journey even more meaningful.

Thank you for your support.

Jo