Hello! My name is Ana Filipa, I’m 40 years old, and I live in Lisbon. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my brief but transformative experience as a student at the Swim4Fun school.
It’s not only my experience at Swim4Fun that is brief. In fact, my experience as a swimmer is just one year, and as a regular practitioner of sports, about five years.
My first contact with swimming lessons was when I was 4 years old, and it lasted only a few hours. At that time, I was taller than most of the children in my class, which led the teacher to assume that I was more experienced and place me in a pool where I couldn’t touch the bottom. It was a frightening experience, especially since it was also when I realized that I couldn’t see well at a distance. Even though I had been wearing glasses for a few weeks, everything felt different in the pool. The combination of not being able to touch the bottom and not being able to see clearly prevented me from expressing myself properly and asking for help from the teacher. The result was an experience that, in addition to being frightening, was also very frustrating, ultimately categorizing sports as something dangerous, difficult, and unattainable for someone like me.
No matter how much my parents insisted that I overcome this idea, I managed to dodge physical education classes whenever I could, distancing myself more and more from practicing sports. Until, at 30, I started exploring activities like nature walks, yoga, and surfing; but it was at 35, when I started practicing kickboxing/muay thai, that I first experienced a regular, enjoyable, and productive training routine.
Suddenly, about a year ago, I got the desire to try triathlon. Everything was new – in fact, it still is – from swimming to biking to running. But what could have been overwhelming actually became an opportunity to learn something new every day.
I remember that the first time I swam in open water, I felt like I was spiraling into discomfort: cold, waves, currents, depth, breathing, equipment, buoy flying, wind – everything at once and at high intensity – that’s how I felt.
Recently, I started taking classes at Swim4Fun because it’s time to take each segment of the triathlon to the next level. In a short time, just a few weeks, I’ve managed to incorporate technical aspects that are significantly reducing fatigue and improving my times, without even thinking about it. My trust in the instructor is complete; the feeling I have is that she can see what I’m not even feeling yet, correcting me before I even realize I’m doing something wrong. And all of this with both ease and focus at the same time.
Little by little, I’ve learned to manage the turmoil through my breathing, discovering the power of calming myself down despite the variables around me. I’ve also learned to make use of the resources available today, such as the right wetsuit thickness or prescription swim goggles to boost my confidence.
Thanks to triathlon, and particularly the swimming segment, I’ve discovered the possibility of entering the sea year-round and seeing places in a different way. A trip is no longer just a trip; it becomes an opportunity to swim in a new place, discover a different sea floor, a different saltiness, and other sensations.
Starting to practice sports regularly at 35 marked a before and after in my relationship with myself. I began to appreciate each person’s unique journey, especially my own, and to respect every achievement, no matter how subtle or discreet it may seem.
In 2024, I participated in two triathlon races and finished them with joy and a unique sense of achievement. For 2025, my commitment is to live each day as an opportunity to surpass myself.
Thank you!
Ana Filipa