In September I took my twelve-year-old daughter and her friend to the Pine Island pool for a Splash Bash for her to try synchronized swimming. Her best friend had participated in a summer program and was now swimming on the Sunshine Synchro Splash novice team. Katie had been dancing for nine years at Pine Island Dance and I thought she would be a natural for synchro. I signed her and her friend in, got in the pool and began swimming laps. The coach asked me if I was here for the class. Thinking she meant “is your daughter here for the class” I said yes. As I ducked under the lap line thinking to myself, she must need the moms to participate, she called to another lap swimmer “you too.” We proceeded to demonstrate different strokes and then the group moved to the deep end. I asked the other woman “are we supposed to go too?” Then the coach called for us to join them. After a few more techniques Coach Wendy Stafford looked at me and said “you don’t have nose clips” and I stammered “well I didn’t know I was taking the class.” At this point I found out a there was a mom’s class and that she thought I was there for it. Much embarrassed, she went on to finish the lesson. The other woman told me I should come for the moms’ class, that it was fun. I was having a good time and decided I would take the recreational class with my daughter. For the next three months those Saturdays provided some much needed stress relief as I was finishing up six years of graduate school. In January Katie started swimming with the Novice team and I began to practice along with the intermediate team and a master swimmer that was here from Illinois. She drove to Pine Island from Naples three times a week to work with our coach. Wendy is a wonderful coach, great with the girls, with adults and truly passionate about the sport. The woman I swam with frequently commented on how lucky I was to have Wendy to work with. At age 46 I have found a sport that is fun, easy on my body, and challenging. The joy it has brought into my life is incredible. I hope some other women will come out and try the spring recreational class which starts on Saturday, March 27, at 9 a.m. at the Pine Island pool. I’ll be there, and it won’t be by accident.

For more information about Synchronized Swimming Classes in Lee County contact Wendy Stafford at 239-233-3818 or email using the subject header Synchro classes to sunshinesynchrosplash@gmail.com.