It all started during a walk along Praia da Duquesa in Cascais. I was passing by when I saw a group of women, all wearing blue swim caps, looking so happy in the water. I thought, “What is this? What is this happy group?”
Two days later, there they were again. Curiosity got the better of me…
than shyness. I went over and asked what it was. They told me it was open-water swimming with Swim4Fun.
I went home thinking about it. I did some research, spoke to Bibiana, and immediately booked a trial lesson. Without thinking twice, I went to Decathlon to buy a swimming wetsuit. And on January 5, in the middle of winter, there I was at Praia da Torre for my first lesson.
My teacher was Anabela. She was incredibly kind from the very first minute. And I had my first surprise right away: I love diving underwater in the summer, but with the wetsuit on, I couldn’t sink! I just floated! We had a good laugh.
She got me swimming, and at the end she said, “Rosa, you’re going into Level 1.” And that’s when the real adventure began.
I know it can be scary at first. All the gear, the wetsuit, the sea in winter, starting to swim seriously… it’s all a little intimidating. And for me, it was scary and very difficult.
When I started swimming, I couldn’t breathe. It was overwhelming. I would swim a little way and immediately have to stop. I was completely out of breath—it felt as though my lungs and heart were going to burst out of my mouth. I was really struggling. In the beginning, I struggled terribly.
Anabela would say, “Come on, today we’re swimming to the yellow house!” And I would think, “How am I going to get there if I can’t even breathe?”
There was one Sunday when it was just the two of us—her and me. It took me an hour to swim to the yellow house and back. On the way there, I stopped about ten times. On the way back, I lost count of how many times I stopped. And she, with the patience of a saint, stayed by my side the whole time, simply saying, “Take it easy, Rosa, it’s normal. Just take it slowly—you can do it.”
I was persistent. I didn’t miss a single lesson, even though I was struggling so much, even in the cold, rain, wind, and freezing water. And one thing is true: I never, ever got out of the water without a smile on my face, even when I was completely out of breath.
Until one day, it happened. I managed to reach the yellow house without stopping. I was absolutely thrilled—there are no words to describe it.
As soon as I managed that, my teammate Ana said, “Shall we sign up for the 750-metre race in Setúbal?” I immediately said, “Are you crazy? Never!” But Anabela said, “Why don’t you do it? You have a month to train.” I got home that day and signed up.
We trained every Sunday. Then one day Anabela said, “Do you realize you’ve just swum 750 metres today?” We hadn’t even noticed.
The day of the Setúbal race arrived. I was incredibly nervous, with adrenaline pumping. The starting signal went, and off I went. I swam and managed to make it to the finish. It felt like winning a trophy—a feeling I’ll treasure for the rest of my life. And I crossed the finish line holding hands with my great friend Catarina Pinheiro, as if we had won the gold medal at the Olympic Games. It was beautiful.
After Setúbal, another adventure began: technique.
Anabela had told me, “When you come back from Setúbal, I’m going to teach you how to swim properly.” And so it began: “Rosa, stretch your arms out wide, keep your elbow up like this…” She was always telling me off: “Stretch your arms out, Rosa, stretch your arms out!”
I tried to do everything at once, and then I would say to her, “Anabela, I did everything you told me to, but I forgot to breathe!”
And there was something very important to me. Whenever I started to do a little better, she would say, “That’s great, Rosa, that’s great!” That word “great” was great! It was a little boost; it was encouraging. It meant everything to me. When she said, “That’s great,” I was so happy—it felt as though I already knew how to swim!
I swallowed a lot of water! It was such a fun learning experience.
Then one day, suddenly, everything clicked. I was swimming and began to feel my body gliding through the sea—truly gliding. It was a wonderful, magical feeling. I realized I was no longer fighting the sea; I was becoming part of it. Everything changed that day.
I was hooked. I started going twice a week, then three times, then four times a week. I began rearranging my whole life just so I could go swimming. The sea started calling me.
Then came the challenge of the 2.5-kilometre António Bessone Basto swim in Oeiras. When they told me about it, I said, “2,500 metres? I can’t do that!” They said, “It’s easy—you’ll catch a current that carries you along.” I didn’t believe them, but I signed up. I went terrified, but I went. And I did it.
The toughest race I’ve done so far was the one in Albufeira. It was incredibly difficult. As soon as we got into the water, the sea suddenly started to get rough. Everything came at once: waves, wind, and currents.
After one kilometre, I thought, “I don’t think I’m going to make it to the finish.”
But then I heard a voice inside me saying, “Rosa, giving up isn’t in your vocabulary. Now you’re going all the way to the finish.” And I did. I finished feeling incredibly happy.
In the meantime, I moved from Level 1 to Level 2. It’s different—the techniques are different—but I’m really enjoying it and feel that I’m improving. I’m still persistent.
I haven’t been going to lessons as much lately because the schedules haven’t worked out, but I’m still swimming. I go on my own or always find a friend to go with me. The sea is still always with me.
But what open-water swimming has truly changed in my life goes far beyond the distance I’ve swum.
Four years ago, my husband died. For three years, I more or less stopped living. I lost the will to live. I shut myself away.
Finding Swim4Fun changed my life completely. I’m a different person. I feel like living again, I’m more active and happier, and I always have something to look forward to on Sundays.
I feel like talking to people again. I used to be more withdrawn, but not anymore. I’ve become Rosa again. I’m always in good spirits. Open-water swimming has changed me profoundly.
I’d like to leave a heartfelt thank-you.
I want to thank my teacher, my amazing coach Anabela. Those five minutes we spent talking at the end of our lessons, freezing cold and shivering as we took off our wetsuits in winter… If only she knew how much good those conversations did for my soul and my heart. There are no words to thank her. I want to thank her with all my heart.
I also want to thank Bibiana for her patience with me, because I’m not always easy, and Professor Letícia too. She only joined us recently, but she’s also been wonderful and very patient with me.
I want to thank my Level 1 classmates, who were with me at the beginning. They were very important to me during that stage of my life—the encouragement they gave me, and the jokes we always shared after class, laughing together.
And finally, I want to thank the entire Swim4Fun community: everyone I’ve swum with, had fun with, chatted and laughed with, and joined for activities where we had such a wonderful time. Thank you all, for everything.
Obrigada.
From struggling to breathe to reaching the yellow house. From grief to the will to live. I became Rosa again.
Rosa Coronha