Swimming By Khadija Acone Ardeer Campus

My favourite hobby is swimming although I didn’t really like it at the start. All toddlers do, but I didn’t. Now I truly love it and I love and treasure hot summer days during the holidays with family and friends. 

As most families do we went to the beach during summer and this day was like that. It was very crowded when we arrived but we finally found a spot. My older family friends were the first to dive into the cool water. As crazy teenagers they decided to start jumping off the pier. As a little nine year old I followed them.  

We began to dive and then swim further and further out from the pier. I was very confident with myself but finally we reached the edge and passed the floating yellow flag. There were some fishermen here and there. I then started to doubt myself. 

All my family and friends jumped and then waited for me in the water. My heart stopped when they jumped and I heard the sound like a slap as they hit the water and disappeared. Just seeing each of their heads pop out was a big relief. 

Finally it was my turn. ‘One…two…three!’ My family friends cheered me on. My pulse was drumming in my ears like big bangs. Finally I took a deep breath and jumped. I opened my eyes as I sank. Darker and darker it got as I sunk deeper and deeper and I saw my cousins’ legs slowly kicking above me. I looked down into the dark blue water. I saw light and shadows, flashing silver and stared into a bed of floating seaweed arms. It was scary! Then I could feel seaweed arms grabbing at my legs. I struggled to untangle myself and got a bad shock. I calmed down and tried to just hang in the cold water. It felt like I had escaped from the world; it was silent and dark. It was calming. I slowly floated up and it got lighter and lighter. As I reached the surface I took a gasp of air and a rush of sound came to my ears. Seeing my friends made me happy. 

I climbed back up the ladder and onto the pier. I could feel the wood which was warmed under my feet as I walked to a nearby chair. I sat down to catch my breath. 

‘Are you okay?’ a person asked as he walked by. 

I looked up and smiled. ‘I’m great.’