As a former Royal Marines Commando I wasn’t afraid of hard work and had always maintained a high level of personal fitness. Why then was it that I was left gasping after only a couple of lengths of the pool?
I knew I wanted to swim well but a few bad experiences with local coaches had made left me thinking swimming just wasn’t for me. Maybe I should stick to grappling and the weight room. I felt I owed it to myself to give it one more go in the water but knew that I needed to find the best out there, the best in the field, I felt after reading about his story that Adam was that person.
I was honest with Gemma about my concerns at committing yet more money to a project that until then had been nothing but negative but Gemma eventually gave me the reassurance that all would work out with Adam’s coaching.
I spent 6 hours in the pool over 2 days (definitely worth the extra day) and Adam worked with me on the Ocean Walker stroke. At the end of the 2 sessions I had shaved 2 seconds and 6 strokes off every length!
I worked hard over the following month doing the drills and feeling more comfortable in the water and with the stroke and a little over a month from the session I’d had with Adam I swam 1000m unbroken for the first time!
This experience has given me the confidence in my swimming, and the stroke, to continue to develop in the water and to work towards my dream of rowing the Atlantic Ocean in 2022. I’d set myself this personal goal prior to meeting Adam but had made a promise with myself that I wouldn’t sign up to the row (or tell anyone about it) until I could swim back to the boat (if the worst happened!!!)
So, thanks Adam for being such a great coach and inspiration to others. I am proof that with hard work and humbleness, anyone can become a competent swimmer using the Ocean Walker technique, even if your experiences before have been bad.
I really can’t tell you what a boost this has given to my training and plans for 2022!!
