It was July 10, 2022, when I finally heard the words that had been echoing in my mind for months: “Luís Fraga, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!” The epilogue of a story that might never have begun if my uncle António hadn’t been there to rescue me from drowning about 25 years earlier.
We were at a river beach, crossed by one of those rivers that stubbornly refuse to be called “calm.” The sun was beating down hard, my cousins were challenging me to races and dives, and I, fueled by a courage typical of my age, decided to cross the river to the other side.
I threw myself into the water determined. Stroke after stroke, I moved forward with conviction, firmly believing that my improvised style was just as good as Mitch Buchannon from the Baywatch series. The opposite shore was getting closer, and for a moment, victory seemed certain.
But nature has its own plans.
In the last meters, a treacherous whirlpool wouldn’t let me move forward, as if the current wanted to remind me who was in charge there. I decided to give it my all, as I had long passed the point of no return. I swam for what felt like an eternity, until I had no strength left except to scream for help.
At the first shout, no one took it seriously. At the second and third, my uncle António started running and dove in my direction. He swam without hesitation, as if those waters were familiar to him. He was already close when he shouted: “Raise your arm!”
Those were the last words I heard before I sank and lost consciousness.
I woke up with his arms pulling me to shore. What followed were massages, makeshift blankets, and a feast that I devoured like someone returning to life. My body recovered quickly; but the fear of swimming again… that took much longer to overcome.
Interestingly, my uncle wasn’t an athlete, much less a triathlete. But he could swim. And he swam well: in any sea, in any river. Above all, he knew that swimming can sometimes literally save lives.
Twenty-five years later, crossing the Ironman finish line with my arms raised, I realized that this arrival was much more than just sport. It was the confirmation that fear is not destiny, that the past does not define who we are, but can shape who we choose to be. That sometimes, it all begins with a simple gesture: raising your arm.
To ask for help. To give thanks. To celebrate.
The important thing, really, is not to lower your arms.
Luís Fraga