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，我都不會游泳。在海邊，我總是找各種藉口。35歲那年，我終於決定去上游泳課。今天，我來分享這段經歷教會了我什麼。

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.

   我的第一節課很尷尬。我是一群8歲孩子中唯一的大人，而他們都遊得比我好。我差點就不想再去了。

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.

   我最大的問題是害怕。我不敢把臉放進水裡。老師讓我先從吐泡泡開始，慢慢地，恐懼變得越來越小。

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.

   接著，小小的進步一個個出現了。先是能浮起來了。然後我遊了5米。三個月後，我一口氣游完了泳池的一個全程。我差點哭了。

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.

   我學到的第一件事是：永遠不會太晚。問題不在我的年齡，而在於我怕自己看起來很傻。

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.

   第二個教訓是：為小小的進步慶祝。如果我只盯著游完一個全程，我早就放棄了。為每一小步慶祝，讓我堅持了下來。

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.

   現在我每週遊兩次泳，而且我很喜歡。有沒有什麼事情，是你一直想學，卻覺得自己年紀太大的？也許就是今年了。謝謝大家。