In spite of the fact that I wasn’t particularly athletic in high school, I’ve somehow always found some form of exercise to enjoy, from cheerleading to cross-country skiing. In my 20s, I taught aerobics, wearing a leotard and leg warmers a la Jane Fonda. What a great time for all of us, huh?

In my 30s, I got burned out on aerobics and started swimming for fitness. I was not good. I got very tired. I must have been getting a GREAT workout because I was fighting my way from one end of the pool to the other, doing battle with every water droplet I encountered. It was ugly, and it wasn’t very fun.

I decided I wanted to do a triathlon. I found a whole new level of discomfort in the water. In addition to working way too hard, I was now very stressed out by competing in the water.

During an indoor sprint triathlon (I was about 35 at the time), I had a panic attack during the swim leg. I blame the woman who shared my lane. In my practices, I had almost always had my own lane, or had been swimming with a friend. This woman–let’s call her Wavezilla–moved a LOT of water. She caused mini-tsunamis that went straight into my mouth when I rolled for breath.

At the end of my second length, I stood up in the pool. I damn near got out. There were spectators and I had a decision to make. Would I rather suffer the indignity of quitting, or suffer the horror of continuing with Wavezilla sharing my lane? By that time, she was several lengths ahead of me. I decided to do one more length and see how I felt. I finished the length, stood up, and had the exact same mental conversation that I had just had at the other end of the pool. Okay. Another length, then decide. I did sixteen lengths that way.

I finished with a lousy time, but what an accomplishment! I had competed. I had survived a competition. I was hooked.

But I needed to figure out how to swim with confidence. Total Immersion had the answer. Read about my First Brush with TI.