My relationship with the water started very early — at 3 years old I got into a pool for the first time, and from then on I never wanted to leave.
I grew up swimming for Sport Lisboa e Benfica, where I competed as a registered athlete and trained for years with total dedication: two training sessions a day, life organized around the water. That continued until I was 18, when starting university brought a new reality. There was no longer time for everything, and swimming was left behind.
Durante mais de uma década, a piscina ficou no passado. Até que, aos 32 anos, apareceu um desafio que não esperava para mim: o Ironman 70.3.
Let’s say I was “coerced” into giving it a try — and suddenly getting back into the water and rebuilding my endurance became a necessity. I signed up for open swim sessions at Cidade Universitária, but I quickly realized that swimming alone, without structure or guidance, wasn’t what I needed. Something was missing.
That’s when Swim4Fun was recommended to me.
And today I can honestly say: I’m starting to love swimming again. Little by little, I’m rebuilding my endurance — and more than that, I’m rediscovering the joy I’ve always felt in the water.
Gonçalo Domingues