Two years ago I moved to India with my hubby, Julian, due to his work. In order to pass the time and try and lose some of my considerable weight I started swimming each day in the hotel pool. I gradually increased the lengths I did until I was swimming a mile a day. Sure enough the weight started to slooooowly reduce and I became quite addicted to my daily swims. One windy day in August 2012 I was watching the wind whip up the water in front of me as I ploughed up and down the hotel's little 16 meter pool and thinking "the water is so choppy it feels like an open water swim." I lowered my head deeper into the water (I was a "head-up" swimmer - don't want to ruin your hair style!) As the water was at eye level the ripples looked like tiny waves and I imagined I was swimming in the sea with waves crashing over me. Dodging huge tankers and being dive bombed by seagulls. This was so much more exciting than pool swimming! "Hmm I wonder if I could ever do an open water swim."
Back on dry land I got straight on the interweb and discovered The Monster Swim - a 1 mile swim in Loch Ness! It sounded great; but would I be able to do it? I looked to my hubby for advice "Of course you can do it!" he said. Bless him he's so supportive. Of course if I said I wanted to fly to the moon he would say the same thing! Then I asked a friend's opinion; she said "What you? Swim Loch Ness? You'll never be able to do it!" My first response to that was to think she was right. What was I thinking! I could never do it. Then I spoke to another friend who is a personal trainer and her immediate response was "Of course you can do it. You will need to do a lot of training but you have a year to get ready and I would love to help you". That was all the encouragement I needed to change my attitude from "She's right I can't do it" to "You just watch me. I'll prove you wrong" So here I am - 49 - fat - and 8 months into my training to swim in Loch Ness in August 2013.
8 Comments
Lucy castledine
16/4/2013 05:58:54 am
OF corce u can do it auntie gill I be leave in u
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Kathy Davis
16/4/2013 06:47:41 am
Gill, my awesome MERMAID friend!!! You know, one of the best things about going to India was meeting you. You were, and continue to be such an inspiration to me! I believe you can do just about anything you set your mind too! You're a stubborn one that way. hehe Keep up the awesome work girl! Look forward to keeping up with your blog on here!
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Fat Girl Swims
16/4/2013 11:17:21 pm
Thank you Lucy. I look forward to seeing you at Loch Ness x
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June
16/4/2013 09:35:53 am
Of course you can do it, and I am so proud of you!
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yaso
16/4/2013 07:45:41 pm
Gill, of course you can do it. Once you put yourmind to it, there is nothing in this world that is going to stop you. You are such an inspiration to me and i bet a lot of people.
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Fat Girl Swims
16/4/2013 11:19:55 pm
Thank you ladies. Your support means the world to me. The next update will be posted in a day or two - once I get over the jet lag!
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Dawn Thomas
23/4/2013 10:26:18 pm
You go girl, missing you all loads, looking forward to following you on your blog loads of love Dawn xxx
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