I am delighted to say that TI has officially begun as part of the aquatics program at the Kerr YMCA in North Raleigh, near Wake Forest. The first "TI taster" included a total of 6 participants, including coaches. Skills ranged from beginning to very advanced swimmers. It was rewarding to learn as an instructor to teach each technique sufficiently to varying levels of swimming ability. Great thing about TI is that regardless of how fast or slow someone is, they can improve and enhance their swimming efficiency. Yesterday was an ideal example of the difference just 2 hours can make.
Our beginner focused on appropriately getting her face in the water, then moved right into drills. She quickly learned that being shown specifically how to move through the water provides confidence and minimizes anxiety. She stated that registering for TI lessons starting Nov. 5th was officially going on her calendar!
Though the advanced student was so, shall we say, advanced already in competitive swimming, what could happen? The key is to take someone who is better (than many others) and lead them to their best. For this former NC State swimmer, there are simple principles that, when put into practice, yield positive external and internal results. The external being in fewer strokes needed to swim one length (SPL), possessing more energy internally. So, distance and open water swimming become tremendous opportunities for swimming to bring quality of life. Finally, hearing him say "I am feeling the difference," is the big reward, and what keeps us TI coaches going.
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