My daughter was very pleased to be picked to represent the school in a swimming gala against other schools and I was very pleased for her. She is a good swimmer with an excellent technique. She can swim faster than me these days (I don’t have excellent technique!). She doesn’t do lessons any more, having passed the course and decided not to take it any further, or go swimming regularly, so I hoped she was up for the challenge.
She insisted we go swimming after school to practise. I’m not keen on swimming (too cold, too wet), but I admire her determination. If she says she’s going to go swimming to practise, she goes swimming to practise. No messing around. Just swimming, length after length. Butterfly, front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke…
We knew nothing about the swimming gala, other than that she was one of four year 4s chosen. We didn’t know if it was just for year 4 and 5, if she would be in a year 4 race, if she would be swimming against year 6s. We just knew she was doing the backstroke race and a relay.
Unfortunately I was unable to go to the gala, as I had too much work on and it was all morning. Having little faith in school sport and in my daughter’s swimming ability (I know she’s pretty good, but can she hold her own against people who swim several times a week?), I didn’t think I would be missing much.
When she came out of school, I had to guess where she’d come. My head was screaming ‘last’, but kind Mummy said ‘third?’.
‘I came second in my heat and got through to the final.’
Second in her heat? That’s impressive. Apparently not everyone who came second got through to the final, it was the only the person who came second and had the fastest time. That’s even more impressive.
She came last in the final, out of four. But she wasn’t remotely disappointed, and rightly so. She’d done very well and most of her friends hadn’t even made it to the final. Oh, and you know we weren’t sure if it was a year 4 race? It wasn’t. It was right up to year 6. She was swimming against year 6s.
As my daughter put it: ‘Out of those six schools (that took part in the gala), I’m fourth fastest at backstroke in Key Stage 2.’
What a positive way to look at it! I couldn’t have put it better myself.
December 11, 2014
Wow that’s brilliant. She sounds a determined lady with her fastest time and well done on her for making the finals. Bet you’ll want to go next time! 🙂
December 11, 2014
Thanks very much! I most definitely will! She will have to keep up her swimming so it doesn’t slip!
December 11, 2014
A very positive and mature outlook indeed! Well done to her. x
December 12, 2014
Thank you! It is incredible how positive and mature she can be! x
December 11, 2014
Well done! That is certainly impressive, especially her attitude! 🙂 #loudnproud
December 12, 2014
Thanks very much! She’s got a very good attitude and always looks for the positives 🙂
December 11, 2014
What a fantastic achievement for you daughter. You must be so proud! Well done to her and to you encouraging her to do sports!
December 12, 2014
Thank you! I do like to encourage them to do sports, without pushing them too hard. Luckily they all seem to enjoy sport 🙂
December 11, 2014
I think it’s fantastic that she saw her achievements. Well done on her xx
December 12, 2014
Thanks very much! I was impressed by the way she looked at it. She WILL be expecting to win in year 6 though! x
December 12, 2014
That’s brilliant, well done her! What a wonderful achievement 🙂 Thank you for linking up with #LoudnProud 🙂
December 12, 2014
Thanks very much! Always a pleasure to link up with Loud ‘n’ Proud 🙂
December 13, 2014
Atta girl. I was a competitive swimmer in my youth, she’s done really well!
December 13, 2014
Thanks very much, I was so proud of her 🙂