126 Days to go and My first swimming lesson (well I had lessons when I was maybe 4 years old)

It is Thursday morning pitch black outside, it’s raining and cold and I have been awake since 4am. My alarm is scheduled to go off at 4h40, to be ready to be at the pool by 5h05am.

Mixed emotions running through me from what am I doing this is surely crazy too I can’t wait to go swimming and do so with a coach.

Meeting new people, especially athletes freak me out a bit, yes it true. My insecurities from having a disability have been implanted in my since very young. I suppose you could ask most people who have a disability and they would all kind of say the same thing. “In this world having a disability creates a stigma in your own mind never even mind the people who know you or who meet you for the first time or who even walk past you on the street.” Finding acceptance and moving on with a disability, or as one of my dear friend said to me, “look pass your disability, it’s not who you are”

So arriving at the pool, I met Luke the coach and said he would like to chat to me before he gets me in the pool to swim. I just needed to wait till he got the other swimmers going on their session. I take a seat on the chair, and then hear him shout out to the other swimmers.......

“Your warm up is 100m any, 50 different, 50m sprints with 20 seconds rest in between sets”

Well it went something like that; I just had this sudden thought

“What did he just say and how on earth would I remember that when I am told to do whatever he just said, great this is going to be interesting”

So we chatted for a bit, I told him my goals, where I have come from re swimming etc. Then I jumped in the pool, he told me “please swim 100m freestyle” Oh that’s easy, so off I went. (FYI – we practice in a 25m pool).

Next “please sprint 25m freestyle, rest 10 seconds then sprint another 25 metres, do this 4 times” not that hard, but sprinting is intense, its full steam with all you have till you reach the wall, breath a few seconds and do the same back.  29 Seconds I touch the wall, breathe deeply for 10 seconds then sprint out for 29 seconds more. After the 4^th one my arms are burning, my lungs can feel I just did something they are not used to but I realise I am in my dream worldJ. I Love what I get to do and work towards.

Luke then said “swim 4 sets, 100metres free, 100metres free with buoy, 100 metres free, 100 metres buoy.”I must have looked puzzled, because he said ok, that’s 4 lengths, freestyle, and then do another 4 lengths with a pool buoy, then repeat that session again.

Swimming lingo, I need a dictionary for this!

So for the next 4 months, my Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings will be learning swimming lingo and of course swimming J

Dear Friend, and team mates! :)

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” T. S. Eliot

So how far can we go beyond what we think or can actually achieve. Well the answer I guess will line in some of my next exploits if I can call it that. (Don’t stop reading it gets interesting and would love and appreciate some support J)

Next exploit: Paratriathlon (Swim, Cycle and Run all in one race – hummm how am I going to run you might be thinking straight off, we can only see how far I can go, just got to risk it)

Basically Paratriathlon offers a unique and inclusive global opportunity for athletes of all disabilities to perform at elite levels in a modern, exciting and dynamic sport of triathlon.

Disabled athletes get categorised according to their disability. For paratriathlons I fall under:

TRI 3 - Les Autres: Includes athletes with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Double Leg Amputee (runners) or Paralysis in multiple limbs. Must have a minimum of 15% impairment of any one limb. Must ride a bicycle or tricycle and run. May use cane, braces or prosthesis during run portion. No racing wheelchairs.

After my Mid Mar Mile swim, I have been out to find something to do next, and stumbled onto paratriathlons. It’s been an amazing journey; I have already met so many people and have watched how opportunities have literally sprung up in front of me. Some small things like connecting with Western Province Triathlon, attending a cycling race with Western Province Paracycling, meeting some real South African Paralympians, finding a bicycle I can buy (Trike, these are very hard to come by in South Africa), meeting with Claire Horner(My Training Day coach, she has trained some big elite triahletes, and I would be her first disabled athlete), Continued hard training with Greg my Biokentikist at gym who makes me sweat a lot :) the list goes on and on of what has been happening in the past 2 months.

So how do I race, I swim 750metres, I then cycle 20km, and then run 5km, then I collapse and celebrate what I get to do and recognise that all the hard training was worth it and plan the next race.

Swim – My swimming is good but I need to work on my technique and speed, this is the strongest part of my race, and will be honing on this by swimming in a team now with a coach

Cycle – I am allowed to use a normal bicycle or what they would call a trike(tricycle if you were a child – see picture attached of what it looks like) so because of my balance issues I am looking at going with a trike. To give you an idea of where I have come from, a month ago I was struggling to peddle past 1km at the gym, now I am cycling about 20km at the gym and attending spinning classes. J A lot of hard work my gym trainer will tell you.  

Run – or more like walk for me, and I am allowed to use my hiking poles. This is my biggest challenge, and between my biokentikist(Gym trainer) – Greg and My triathlon trainer – Claire we are slowly working on figuring out how to overcome this minor problem.

My first race is planned for the 5^th October 2013. So I have a lot of work to do in the coming 4 months, and I remind myself each morning when I go to gym and my alarm goes off at 4h45 that it will all be worth it in the end.

But, there is always a butt J I am looking for some support in my new exploit and I know those who know me could believe in investing in me before I am famous, where as big companies want me to be famous first before investing in me.

So if you can and feel the need to help me even if it’s a small amount towards my big dream of becoming a paratriathlete, here are my needs at present:

Trike - R5000.00,($530) this is a second hand trike which has actually been to the Olympics J just so you know a trike like this brand new can easily retail for R30 000.00 entry level, WP Paracyclying are selling it to me.

Cycling Helmet and shoes – R1500.00 ($160)

Claire Horner(My Training Day) coaching fees – R650 ($69) a month or R3600($380) up front for 6 months

Swimming Squad training – R300 ($32) a month or R1200 ($127) up front for 6 months.

Swimming wetsuit – R2500.00 ($270)

Total: R13 800.00 ($1500)

Greg Hyson my biokentikist at gym I pay for myself as I believe I also need to be investing in myself as part of this journey.

If you would like to give something towards this, here are banking details:

Bank: First National Bank
Account Name: Catherine van Staden
Account number: 62189209549
Account type: Savings
 Branch: Tokai
Branch code: 200 409
Branch Address: Shop No 10
                           Blue Route Mall
                           Tokai
                            7945
Swift code for international transfers: FIRNZAJJ

Please feel free to email me or call me if you want more information. or pass this email onto anyone you feel might be interested to support. If you would prefer to pay directly for something ie Trike or coaching fees I can supply those details.

To get a quick glimpse as to what paratriathlon looks like click on the link below: Paratriathlons will be making its first appearance at the 2016 Paralympics so the bid was won, in case you check out this video clip. It is inspiring!

http://www.triathlon.org/paratriathlon

I will be sending out progress on my training and lead up to the first race, so keep watching this space, or should I say your email for updates! J

Thank you, 

catherine