Speaking A

Summary

This is a personal story of someone’s journey from being unable to swim to competing in swimming competitions. Initially hesitant and afraid, they were encouraged by their father to take swimming lessons. Over time, they became proficient, made new friends, and faced the challenges of competing in swimming events. Despite not winning, they learned valuable lessons in perseverance and the importance of listening to instructions. The story emphasizes overcoming fear, embracing failure, and trying new things with determination and optimism.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker was born on April 24, 2004, and is from a place referred to as '12 social, 4'.
• 😀 The speaker shares their personal journey of learning to swim, starting from not being able to swim at all.
• 😀 Initially, the speaker was afraid of swimming, but their father encouraged them to take swimming lessons.
• 😀 The speaker started taking swimming lessons in fourth grade and practiced every weekend with a teacher named Mr. San in Lambo, Chandi.
• 😀 The speaker was initially scared during their first practice because the pool was deep, and they didn't know anyone there.
• 😀 Over time, the speaker adapted to the swimming lessons and made a new friend who was kind, humble, and good at swimming.
• 😀 The speaker continued practicing swimming and was eventually transferred to another teacher named Mr. T, who was patient and taught in a different way.
• 😀 The speaker learned breaststroke and front crawl and became proficient in swimming in about two months.
• 😀 Mr. T encouraged the speaker to participate in a 50m swimming competition, despite the speaker's initial reluctance and lack of experience in competitions.
• 😀 The speaker had a difficult experience in their first competition, with a poor venue and a dirty pool, but didn't get discouraged because they hadn’t expected to win.
• 😀 In a subsequent competition, the speaker lost again, but Mr. T remained encouraging, saying the speaker was doing great despite the losses.
• 😀 The speaker's final message is to not be afraid to try new things, not fear failure, and to always follow instructions when participating in an activity.

Q & A

Why did the narrator initially not want to take swimming lessons?

The narrator was afraid and didn’t want to take swimming lessons at first, despite their father's encouragement.

What motivated the narrator to start swimming lessons despite their fear?

The narrator’s father insisted they take the lessons, and eventually, the narrator agreed to try them.

How did the narrator feel during their first swimming practice?

The narrator felt scared during the first practice because they didn’t know anyone at the pool and found it very deep.

Who did the narrator meet during their swimming lessons, and what was special about them?

The narrator met a younger girl who was very skilled at swimming, kind, and humble, which inspired the narrator to continue practicing.

What changes did the narrator experience in their swimming after moving to Mr. T’s lessons?

Under Mr. T’s guidance, the narrator learned a different approach to swimming, including practicing longer distances and mastering the breaststroke and front crawl.

How did Mr. T encourage the narrator to participate in the competition?

Mr. T was confident in the narrator’s abilities and encouraged them to compete, even when the narrator was hesitant.

What was the narrator’s experience during their first swimming competition?

The narrator was disappointed because the pool was dirty and unpleasant, and they didn’t win the competition, but they weren’t discouraged.

How did the narrator feel about the second competition and why?

The narrator was initially upset because they didn’t know the race system and didn’t win, but Mr. T encouraged them to keep going, which helped them stay positive.

What lesson did the narrator learn from their swimming experience?

The narrator learned not to be afraid to try new things, to embrace failure as part of the learning process, and to always pay attention to instructions.

How did Mr. T’s encouragement help the narrator during tough moments in their swimming journey?

Mr. T's positive reinforcement, such as telling the narrator they were doing well, helped them stay motivated even when they faced setbacks like not winning.