The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXXI

Priscilla Cyprien
Erin Hannon-Foley, Teacher
Roosevelt K-8 School, Hyde Park, MA
Have you ever felt scared when you were swimming in a pool? Well, let me tell
you my story.
One day, I was going to go to the YMCA for swimming lessons, and I was there
with my dad. I was so excited about what I was going to learn that day. It wasn’t
my first time swimming at the YMCA. I had passed stage one and was on to
stage two! My dad told me to change into my bathing suit, and he said he
would wait outside for me.
Once I was done changing, I was going to meet my new swim teacher for stage
two. I was very excited. The scariest part was that I was going to learn how
to swim in the DEEP END!! I was very nervous, and the swim teacher said,
“Hey...it’s okay...we are all scared once in our lives.” I sighed and acted like
I understood.
My teacher told us, “Kids, are you ready to start swimming in the deep end?”
I was freaking out once I started to swim. I went slow so everyone could go
ahead of me. I knew I would take forever to swim to the deep end because it
was going to be my first time. Everyone started racing to the deep end. I stayed
there looking at the other kids while I was kicking to the middle of the pool
slowly. I got a bit scared but took a few deep breaths.
I saw my cousins cheering for me on the other lane near me. I grabbed a
board and started kicking my way to the deep end. I was halfway there, excited
that I really did it until I noticed the water started to get too deep for me. I
started to sink and tried to swim back up, but I couldn’t. I let go of my board
because it started to get slippery, and I started to sink and closed my eyes. I
heard yelling. I touched the deep end floor, and I opened my eyes again.
I heard people yelling that they needed to help me get back up. I felt a sharp
pain in my back. I started to lose my breath. I put all my courage and strength
in my arms as I was kicking as hard as I could to swim back up. I got to the
top and took a big gasp. A life guard took me into the shallow water and told
someone to call 911.
I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was in the hospital. I saw no one
in the room. I looked around and waited for someone to come in. I saw the
door knob move, and it was the doctor who said, “Oh! You’re awake now. I
need you to try to stand up and try to walk.” I tried to stand up, but I felt too
weak and sat back down.
“A lesson that I
learned is never
be afraid to do
something that you
might not complete,
still try your best.”
The doctor said I wouldn’t be able to walk for six days, so I had to use a
wheelchair. I couldn’t go back to swim class until the next year, because of
the risk for more drowning accidents. I was sad I couldn’t go back swimming,
but the only thing I was happy about is having the courage to save myself
from drowning.
I came back into the YMCA, and now I’m eleven. It’s been a year since I
almost drowned. I moved on to stage four, and I still didn’t know how to swim
to the deep end. This time we were going to go straight into the deep end with
nobody helping each other.
I got scared, so I told my dad, “Will I drown like last year?”
My dad answered, “No, why do you think that?”
I told him, “I feel like I’ll drown and fail again like last year.”
After I got ready and put my bathing suit on I got into the water. As I started
to warm up my new swimming teacher said to us, “Swim to the deep end,
then back.”
I got a bit nervous and started shaking. I said, “Do I really have to do this?”
My swimming teacher didn’t say anything but looked at me strangely. I
believed I could, and I started to kick my legs.
I was almost at the end, when the other people started to kick water in my
face. I yelled for them to stop. I finally reached the deep end. I was happy that
I finally got to the deep end. I felt like I could do this forever.
A lesson that I learned is never be afraid to do something that you might not
complete, still try your best. My definition of courage is to never give up on
something you think you can’t do and to never be afraid.
The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond
Volume XXXI
30 31