After many times of watching Lydia get to go into the swimming pool by herself without an adult, Sophie decided today that she wanted to go in too. So, she attempted the swim test, which requires the child to swim freestyle the full length of the pool without stopping. Sophie started off really well and I was surprised how far she was going, however, just a little past halfway, she started slowing down. There was a swimming class in session in the lane that she was swimming in, so that instructor was telling her that she was in the wrong lane. (I only know this because Lydia was following alongside her sister in the community pool.) Well, just as all this was happening, a lifeguard suddenly blows his whistle and jumps into the water to "save" Sophie. Apparently, with her little arms flapping around, he thought that she was drowning!
I wasn't sure if I was slightly annoyed that the instructor and lifeguard interrupted Sophie's swim test or appreciative that the lifeguard saved Sophie, though I don't believe she needed to be saved. She knows how to bounce off the bottom of the pool quite well and she hadn't even stopped swimming yet. Needless to say, Sophie didn't pass the test and the facility had to write up an incident report. Sophie did tell me later that she was tired, but who knows if she would have made it the last 15 yards or not. I was really proud of her though and after watching her play during swim classes all the time, I felt that she actually learned something.
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