Learning to Swim at 35: What It Taught Me

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1. 01Learning to Swim at 35

   Hello, everyone. Until last year, I couldn't swim. I always made excuses at the beach. At thirty-five, I finally decided to take lessons. Today, I'll share what that experience taught me.

   大家好。直到去年，我都不会游泳。在海边，我总是找各种借口。35岁那年，我终于决定去上游泳课。今天，我来分享这段经历教会了我什么。

2. 02The First Lesson

   My first lesson was embarrassing. I was the only adult in a group of eight-year-olds, and they were all better than me. I almost didn't go back.

   我的第一节课很尴尬。我是一群8岁孩子中唯一的大人，而他们都游得比我好。我差点就不想再去了。

3. 03Facing My Fear

   My biggest problem was fear. I was scared to put my face in the water. My teacher told me to start by just blowing bubbles, and slowly, the fear got smaller.

   我最大的问题是害怕。我不敢把脸放进水里。老师让我先从吐泡泡开始，慢慢地，恐惧变得越来越小。

4. 04Small Wins

   Then the small wins came. First, I could float. Then I swam five meters. After three months, I swam one full length of the pool without stopping. I nearly cried.

   接着，小小的进步一个个出现了。先是能浮起来了。然后我游了5米。三个月后，我一口气游完了泳池的一个全程。我差点哭了。

5. 05Lesson 1: It's Never Too Late

   The first thing I learned is that it's never too late. My age wasn't the problem. My fear of looking silly was.

   我学到的第一件事是：永远不会太晚。问题不在我的年龄，而在于我怕自己看起来很傻。

6. 06Lesson 2: Celebrate Small Progress

   The second lesson is to celebrate small progress. If I had only focused on swimming a whole length, I would have given up. Celebrating each small step kept me going.

   第二个教训是：为小小的进步庆祝。如果我只盯着游完一个全程，我早就放弃了。为每一小步庆祝，让我坚持了下来。

7. 07Conclusion

   Now I swim twice a week, and I love it. Is there something you've always wanted to learn but felt too old for? Maybe this is the year. Thank you.

   现在我每周游两次泳，而且我很喜欢。有没有什么事情，是你一直想学，却觉得自己年纪太大的？也许就是今年了。谢谢大家。