It's Just Like Riding a Bike

Humans aren’t naturally built for swimming, let alone swimming fast. When I say "we," I mean all of us. Think about a 7-year-old who hasn’t been taught how to swim. What do you see? Arms are pulling frantically and struggling to move through the water without coordination. The head stays high, desperate to stay near the air. Legs kick wildly for balance, the body more vertical than horizontal, and the arms search for strength rather than reach.

Now, compare that to the smooth, extended, and streamlined form of an Olympic swimmer. Our natural instincts in the water are about one thing: survival.

To thrive in the water, we need to retrain our instincts and rebuild our relationship with it. This starts with focusing on breathing, body alignment, extension, and overall shape—not just pulling and kicking (those will come later).

When the proper relationship with the water is learned, anything else will feel unnatural.

Take a look at this amazing video to see why teaching before training makes all the difference!