All the propulsion comes from the upper body. Engage the lats and not just shoulders. Don’t waste your energy kicking. That changed the game for me 🤯🤙🏽.
At 40 I needed a new challenge, swimming. Couldn't breathe while swimming, couldn't get the cadence, couldn't get the right amount of air in or out to not panic. Sat at my dining room table quite often in the beginning with a towel under our biggest mixing bowl full of water, put my face in and worked on breathing to the side. I believe this helped me tremendously get over the fear of not getting enough oxygen in, calming down, and pacing in a what I felt was a safer, controlled, and relaxing environment.
The think that blocked me is that I was afraid to put my face in the water, what helped me are goggles and initially dropping in this position: 🙊, using my finger to close my nostrils, once I got comfortable in that position I removed my hands
I started swimming at the age of 42 for three reasons. Firstly, I was motivated by your videos. Secondly, I was concerned about not being able to reach my daughters while they swam far from the shore. And thirdly, 42 is considered the answer to the life, the universe, and everything. Last summer, I swam alongside my daughters, and the experience felt amazing.
Last year, a good friend of mine only child drowned. It really motivated me to learn to swim as I have a 4 year old who is petrified of the water. I loved and needed to see this. I'm 35, and I almost drowned when I was 6 and honestly hadn't really been in water for 29 yrs. Today, my husband took my daughter and I to the pool, and I learned to float. I'm breaking generational curses because much of my family doesn't know how to swim. So congrats to you and wish you much fun with your daughter and wife in the water!
you can do it!! I almost drowned twice (first time a priest saved me and the second time my dog saved me) My brother did drown the year after my dog saved me. So it took me many many lessons well into my twenties to finally learn. I actually enjoyed it enough that I would use it as my “reward” for long study sessions for my CPA test. Fast forward 34 years, I am 66 and trying to get relaxed enough to swim freestyle the length of the pool. I keep going back to just get in the water, relax and practice kicking. My goal is to get to 20 laps which is where I was when I was pregnant with my child who is now 34 years old. Just keep getting in the water as much as you can
I’ve always wanted to learn to swim. I’ve lived on the coast my whole life so grew up on the ocean & I also work on the ocean every summer. I knew how when I was really little but my mom would make sure I had a life vest on when at the beach for safety & one day (I was probably 5 or 6) I was thrown in since I knew how to swim, but coming down on my back, seeing the bubbles above me & having to wait until I bobbed back up scared me so bad that I wouldn’t go near the water for years & just lost my ability to swim. But I’ve wanted to learn again for so long. Hopefully one day I can find a teacher & learn how too. Best of luck to you!
Learning to swim as an adult is not easy. It's time consuming and can be expensive, it took me about 3 years (and interrupted by COVID) to be confident to swim from the pool to open water but it is honestly one of the best investments I have made for myself. It took a lot of patience, consistency, facing my fears and a lot of 5am winter mornings in a cold pool to get there but I'm glad I learned. Still have a long way to go in terms of fixing my form and being more efficient but I'm glad that I can enjoy vacations more and I have the basic survival skills.
I think it's underrated how good Mark is a coaching people to get to their goals. Last week I saw the: Journey to Roth Pt. 1 and it the coaching there is also great. Well done Mark.
Did anyone else cheer when Harry pushed off without the float? It’s opened up a world of opportunities for him and his daughter, and he should be super proud of himself! Well done to Mark and GTN for doing this. Can’t wait to see more!
I am 46 and never learned to swim after being pushed into a pool when i was very young, sunk to the bottom and had to be rescued. It is on my bucket list of things to do/learn and fear face.
I think all of us were thrown in at some point . I was thrown in the deep end by older kids. My scenario was different, I ended up teaching myself to float and swim a bit coz I couldnt stand that my friends could swim. I only need to correct my form.
As someone who learnt to swim as an adult during covid I can absolutely empathise with Harry. I missed out on holidays swims with my daughter, got mocked at school swim lessons etc. I couldnt put my head under the water, couldnt let go of the side and couldnt even float on my back. It's been the single hardest thing I've ever done and it takes a long time. Progress will not be linear but stick with it. 3-4 years on and I'm swimming 4 times a week doing 8-9000m and progressing to open water.
Thank you for a full year now I can still only float and do some pull forward and not kicking. So this helped me. I’ll remember growth is linear. Thanks.
I learned how to swim at 35 years old from videos on this channel. It took me 6 weeks to stop panicking in the water, but I'm so thankful I didn't give up. Learning how to relax and breathe while swimming also taught me how to breathe while running, and I FINALLY unlocked both skills. Watching this video got me emotional along with Harry, as I reflect on how far I've come. Thanks for sharing his journey!
@@emeliafeliz91 No, I never had a coach. After about a year, I ended up using the app from MySwimPro. It helped me build up to swimming a mile nonstop. I really enjoyed having the workouts on my watch, but it was expensive lol.
One of, if not the most inspiring videos you’ve done. Fair play to Harry for being so open and honest in where he was but also showing such persistence and strength in overcoming his fear. Just shows with the right support (which was next level) and time you can do it! Looking forward to the next one!
My wife is/was learning to swim as an adult. She has had a few goes at it before, over the years, but it never clicked. Learning as an adult is hard. Her current coach, however, seems to be doing everything right, and this past Wednesday, for the first time ever, she came home and said, "I can swim". Am so happy for her ☺
I love this video. I was forced to learn to swim as a kid for 3 years, but always associated the pool with the feeling of near drowning, and teachers shouting at me and giving me the feeling I wasn't doing anything right. Now I picked it back up as a 30-year old with a supportive teacher that acknowledges how difficult some of the exercises can be and is helpful and teaches me how to actually get better. The most incredible feeling was a few weeks ago when I managed my first 100m continuous crawl and realised I was enjoying myself and feeling relaxed while doing it.
I learnt to swim just after COVID. I started in the corner of the pool blowing bubbles, progressing to sinking mushrooms and then swimming slow lengths. Slow progressive steps is key. It needs to be done at the learners pace, in a controlled environment and allowing breaks or even regression. The moment you become uncomfortable it's buggered. I learnt by following some of the older videos from GTN and they were really helpful. I've gone from being a non-swimmer to comfortably swimming 2k 3 times a week at a decent pace. I now do a lot of stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, sea swimming and snorkelling. Thanks to GTN for helping get me to where I am now.
What progress in one lesson, really brave of Harry to do this, even more to do it on camera! Really supportive teaching by Mark, a really good video for GTN to make. Hopefully someone watching will pluck up the courage to start learning after watching this. Nice work GTN.
This video could not have come at a better time. I am good at running, okay at cycling and suck at swimming. It was nice to see that i am not the only one trying to get better.
totally relate to Harry, when i was a 30 year old i couldn't get across a 25m pool without having to stop a significant number of times. overcoming the fear is massive, i have to work on it every time i go swimming. i'm now 44 and this last weekend i completed Challenge Wales middle distance with my first competitive sea swim. even then i really struggled in the first lap, had a word with myself during the australian exit and had a much better swim in the second lap. but the struggle is real. got to keep going and it will get easier. massive respect to all the adult learners
I am 49 years old. At the end of summer, I decided to finally learn to swim-a goal I’d been putting off for years. I started three weeks ago. After my sixth session, here’s what I’ve noticed: I’m most motivated to freestyle swimming, but the breathing is definitely the hardest part. I’ve never felt this motivated before. Finally, I actually enjoy going to the pool and don’t get a knot in my stomach. The swimming lessons I had as a child, 30-40 years ago, were terrible. Now, I’m happy to see I’m not alone, and we’re all motivating each other.
This is how ai learned to swim properly in my 40s, an excellent coach taught me to be comfortable in the water, to enjoy its feel. Once i relaxed and got used to be under water, I then started to learn the stroke. Now I miss water when cant swim. Yesterday, I stopped while swimming in a Scottish Loch to appreciate it all. Learning to swim as an adult is so hard but also a huge achievement.
The timing on this is wild. This is literally me right now, I'm 28. Had a similar childhood experience to Harry when I was young during a Scouts camp. I'm three days in to swim classes and I can float pretty comfortably on my front and back now. I am learning how to breathe while doing freestyle now.
This is so awesome. I find myself rooting for this person so much. It is literally moving me to tears because I can see how much it means to him. Just like how it meant so much to me. I also learned to swim as an adult. I am 57. I learned to swim at the age of 50. I absolutely love it. It is life changing .It's actually a spiritual experience. I really enjoy seeing people's joy and excitement as they make progress learning to swim. I can relate to this joy. Once they learn to swim I believe they will be hooked for life and love it just as I do.
This is very inspiring to watch. I have swam most of my young life and love it so seeing people do it for the first time is so good. NEVER be embarrassed, we are all at our own levels and its easy to say that but keep it in your mind. Swimming is almost like meditation for me and I would recommend it for anyone.
I'm taking swim lessons at 44 with a similar fear and story. I've floated, backstroked and floated with my face in the water over the last month. I cried at the end of every milestone and totally feel Harry's overwhelming emotions.
I can't believe how invested I was in Harry's progress! Really emotional seeing him conquering his fears bit by bit. Massive respect to Harry for his bravery and persistence and to Mark for his kindness skill and encouragement in guiding him through it. I was punching the air with joy every time he achieved the next level!
I learned to swim in my early 30s. It was one of the most humbling but rewarding things I've done. It's still a work in progress and I get tense to begin with, but just keep chipping away on it.
I am 59 and learning to swim. I have no fear of water and enjoy it. But i want my elder sister ( she is terrified of water) to learn when she comes to me on her vacation. Shall show her your videos ❤ thank you
Holy moly! So many bad experiences in the water reinforced over so many years. That would be an incredibly difficult fear to overcome. Congratulations to Harry!!!!! One of the lessons here is to teach kids to swim while they're young as it'll just get harder as they become older. (And the other lesson is to have a good teacher)
I'm 23 and when I was younger I really struggled with learning to swim. I was very scared of the water and the environment even though it was a controlled swimming pool. Lucky for me I have a supportive mother who at the time took the effort and extra time to teach me not to be afraid of the water and how to properly swim. I can't imagine how hard it must be for the people who didn't get support or even got traumatized by certain events related to bodies of water. I myself am still scared of natural bodies of water but at least I know how to swim and push myself over that fear to a certain extend. I wish all those learning to swim at an older age good luck, you're never too late to learn and if anything it shows great courage.
What an interesting perspective this video was. I personally cannot remember learning how to swim. Quite young I guess as I’ve always been comfortable in the water. Rough or calm, for literal hours snorkeling. Good luck to all of you learners watching this it’s worth it!
Thank you for this video! I recognized myself completely- fearful of the water and quickly going back to the safety of my feet after a short float. I was crying by the end, so proud of his success and recognizing the hurdles overcome! Inspiring for sure!
Absolutely love this for Harry.! Lifetime swimmers can take this feeling for granted but there really isn’t anything better than learning to swim when you’re older. Can’t wait to see Harry swimming lengths soon.
Tears! I used to know how to swim underwater as a kid, but I don't know what happened. I have this huge fear of the sea, and only recently have I been trying to face it. I can swim above water, but once my head goes under, I'm terrified. By exposing myself more and more, I can feel the anxiety decreasing, and watching this video reminded me that I'm not alone in these fears. At any age, we can push ourselves. Thank you.
thank you so much for this series. I am 20 years old and a pretty fit roadie, but a very weak swimmer. I really hope your advice will make me more efficient and help me enjoy swimming way more in the future
Thank you for doing this series, I swam when I was younger and came back to it a few years ago (now 51) and really am glad I did. To see the progress for someone who was clearly scared was great and an encouragement to others.
The fear is real. For Harry to show vulnerability and getting to the stage he got to fantastic. Mark really showed the patience a true coach should have when teaching. I went through the same thing many years ago but the words of Heather (GTN) were "keep at it even if the gains are small". I now can pound out 3800 meters but there are times when anxiety creeps in. I can control it now and love the swim of the triathlon.
I’m taking my first lesson tomorrow morning and just watching him blow bubbles make my heart beat fast and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I don’t think I can go.
I'm 41.... dead scared of water ever since I nearly drowned when I was 11. However this year I took my first plunge into a pool...the shallow end 😅. And to my surprise, I can float and I could swum.. well, not really. This month marks the 4th time that I have swam in a pool and thanks to my friends, they taught me the basics and I now can swim at least 10 to 15 mts. I'm sure I'll get better
I love this! I never learned how to swim as a kid. I did some lessons in college and learned to float but that was as far as I got. I have a kid now and I want him to learn how to swim. My husband is a good swimmer so we've been going to pool once a week. This is so encouraging!
This was so amazing to watch. Well done to Harry for putting himself through this so he can join in with his young family. As others have said Mark is also a fantastic coach, which makes all the difference. Hopefully in time you'll come to love swimming and everything about it.
Absolutely amazing by Harry! I'm currently taking lessons having restarted swimming 2 years ago by myself. I had a similarly horrid experience as a child but decided to conquer my fears.
let's go Harry!!!! Absolute beast!!! being in the water is the most non human thing, incredible courage and i can guarantee in a couple months you'll be comfortably doing laps at the pool. keep it up mate 👏👏
Big ups to Harry! Just hang in there. You’ll get it, one day everything just “clicks”. Remember to try and have fun. GTN this is an awesome video. Mark, hats off for the patience.
Great video! as an adult onset swimmer myself I did not have this much fear to deal with at the start Well done to have the courage to overcome the fear and great to see the care Marc takes in his instruction. I was proud and I wasn’t even there.
Learnt to swim as an adult 2 years ago ...I have been open lake swimming now for the past 2 months with a tow float sometimes if I go out for more than an hour ... I find it easy and relaxing ....Never really was interested in swimming as a kid or as younger adult . I taught my six year old too how to tread water and float but he will be taking professional lessons soon .
In my mid 40's i started by going to the kiddy pool each morning and as others where in lane pool swimming laps,i was just putting my face in the water and tried to blow bubbles. It was hard. I started with a snorkel mask even and slowly worked to goggles. I get it...
I hard my first lesson yesterday after 30 years. I’m a 47 was terrified. It took everything to pick my feet off the floor. I didn’t muster up the courage to try with floats and not hang on to the wall. But it’s my first lessons and I will try again. Your video has given me courage to keep going. Goggles are fantastic. I need ear plugs because the feeling of water going into my ears stopped me putting my head under. I have to work just being in the pool and moving around and letting go. Great video thank you.
This gives me hope. I’m 52 and can’t swim. I feel like if I have to, I could. I know what to do but afraid to try in front of others. I was under 8 yrs old when I jumped off the high dive coz friends called me a scaredy cat. I almost drowned and teenagers jumped in to save me. In 6th grade, I was thrown in a pool by a friend’s brother who knew I couldn’t swim. I’ve been afraid since.
start swim at 31,now at 33 just finish my 2k swim at pool pace 2.20 avg.just consistant 2 swim per week.no coach,only youtube. i believe everyone can do it if you put an effort&slot it into your weekly routine 🔥
Omg the ending brought tears to my eyes. 😢 I'm 34 and have my first lesson tomorrow and you have given me hope. 😢❤ I'm SO excited and ready!!! It's going to be such a HUGE relief and confidence boost to learn this life skill I always missed out on.
I did do swimming lessons in primary school and secondary school but I didn't have the best swimming coaches cos they were a bit too strict and demanding so I never learned how to swim properly. This is on my bucket list. Definitely.
Well done mate!!! Mad props for facing your fear head on. Slow and steady progress will get you there as long as you are persistent! Mark and GTN are a great crew. Supportive, patient and great teachers. I've been very grateful to this team who have encouraged me to push my own boundaries and try things i never thought i could do.
This is an awesome video and great coaching from Mark. The raw side Harry showed in front of the camera is inspiring! I remember using a kickboard when I was learning. Good luck on your journey Harry 🏊🏻♂️
Great work Harry, not only learning a new skill as an adult but also facing your fears. I learnt to do basic swimming as a kid but couldn’t put my face in the water or be in water if I couldn’t touch the bottom, learning to swim freestyle at almost 50 was tough and I’m not a strong or fast swimmer even now but I can do enough to get through an IM swim. Stick at it, looking forward to the next instalment 😊
What a video! Probably my favourite video so far! And HUGE props to Harry for doing this on camera and getting so far in this short time! Great how you went step by step and not just "chucking him in to the deep" - which in this case would be the rabiate version quite literally...
This video has helped me so much!!! As I looked and listened to this story I could see myself. It’s so mental. Our fears sometimes hold us back from such great life enjoyment. Great job my guy 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
As one who was brutally humiliated in my youth for failing to swim and made fun of, I genuinely wanted to go on a rampage, and that desire has remained to this day😢
Thank you for this video! It’s always good to get some perspective on people with reservations towards something, and this video definitely gave a good insight. Also well bloody done for the guts of going through, that head below water segment showed how big that hurdle must have been
I was not fearful of water, I just had very stiff shoulders, ankles and arms, plus I could never float to save my life. So my learning experience had never been good. I finally learned 5 years ago in my forties. Think I could have done it earlier had I had a coach like Mark.
I know this is for swimming but I wondered if there’s a video on your site for the same thing but with riding a bike? Also on this video, it was awesome to watch! Great seeing someone take on that mental block and challenge themselves
So when i was 5 and living in South africa, my uncle pushed me into an outside pool. I nearly drowned, so the fear is real, but my matey kept on asking me to do a triathlon with him, so i finally agreed, knowing i could hardly swim and had a massive fear of water. But you know what i did it 🤦♂️🤓 youtube and one private lesson. So this really hits home 👊🏽
I learned to swim at 52. I was petrified of deep water. I took lessons at the ymca. It took a while, but now I lap swim and I passed my lifeguard test.
Pretty nuts that this video uploaded as I’m getting in the pool this evening for the first time in 2 years, and I didn’t know how to swim at all 3 years ago.
So amazing video, had tears in my eyes. So touched. When the motivation is there and a little help on the road- anything is possible. 😇🏊🏻♂️😍 Beginner tips (?) - this is when I worked with children. How to floating on the back - I keep my hand under the neck on the child just with my fingers and promise them that I will not let his/hers face come under water. When they feel good with that they can start kicking with their feet and I still follow them with my hand like a support.
Cool to see other peoples experiences with swimming as I have always loved swimming and it came very naturally to me when I was younger, when he was saying about the things that scare him like the smell and the depth, those are the things I love when going to the pool 😂
I learned how to swim last year at 36 yrs old. I can swim confidently now but I still get scared (without a swim buoy) on waters where my feet can't reach the bottom.
35, looking into starting lessons. Im not afraid. I just dont know what im doing. My son is 4 and he is absolutely afraid of the water. I want to learn so I can help him. Breaks my heart to see how afraid of the water he is.
When I was 6 I fell in a really deep pool but I turned 12 and after 6 years later I conquered my fear and started swimming again now I am swimming everyday
I am starting my swimming lessons next week Tuesday and I am nervous. I almost drowned at a friend's pool party when I was a kid, and I have been terrified of water ever since. But I can't run at the moment because of an injury. So, I decided to take up swimming.
Learned to swim at age of 37, started two years ago. Went directly to professional trainer who knows how to teach adults. Because I know stories that when you try to learn yourself at adult age, you can learn so wrong movements that it's almost impossible to learn the right ones later again. 2 months intense trainings and I was able to crawl. Of course we are still perfecting the technique to get me ready to do my first ever half triathlon this summer🤘. Goal is simply to finish in time limit. I've never been afraid of water. Ironically I've done many water sports before - kitesurfing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, all kinds of water parks etc.. But ironically never even had proper skill to float without lifejacket. But THE MAIN reason to learn properly swim and float was because I really badly wanted to do canyoning without the fear of jumping into water from high altitudes. Even jump from 1 meter platform scared me.. Today 10m no problem ☺. This channel has given me a lot of teaching moments over the past two years and motivation to learn swimming to just be healthy and in normal shape. Thank you guys!!! 🙏🙏
I also learned to swim at the same age as you. It was nerve wracking, as I had a few near drowning trauma experiences from growing up. But I chose to not let my past fear dictate the present. It feels great finally being able to swim and learn a life / survival skill, and a sense of accomplishment inside!
Share your beginner swimming tips in the comments 🏊
All the propulsion comes from the upper body. Engage the lats and not just shoulders. Don’t waste your energy kicking. That changed the game for me 🤯🤙🏽.
I didnt got comfortable in the water until I learned how to float and rest, then realize I couldnt drown
When swimming feels right, it feels like flying, its totally amazing, sensual and being
At 40 I needed a new challenge, swimming. Couldn't breathe while swimming, couldn't get the cadence, couldn't get the right amount of air in or out to not panic. Sat at my dining room table quite often in the beginning with a towel under our biggest mixing bowl full of water, put my face in and worked on breathing to the side. I believe this helped me tremendously get over the fear of not getting enough oxygen in, calming down, and pacing in a what I felt was a safer, controlled, and relaxing environment.
The think that blocked me is that I was afraid to put my face in the water, what helped me are goggles and initially dropping in this position: 🙊, using my finger to close my nostrils, once I got comfortable in that position I removed my hands
I started swimming at the age of 42 for three reasons. Firstly, I was motivated by your videos. Secondly, I was concerned about not being able to reach my daughters while they swam far from the shore. And thirdly, 42 is considered the answer to the life, the universe, and everything. Last summer, I swam alongside my daughters, and the experience felt amazing.
Mad respect to you! I'm so happy for you!
Take respects 💚
I am just beginning my lessons, I'm 41, but this comment gave me hope! :D
You're a great father, your daughters are lucky to have you ❤
I'm 32 and don't know swimming. I always thought of giving a try.
Huge respect for Harry in not just facing his fears about the pool, but in being prepared to do so on camera. 🤜🤛
For real. That's bold
Last year, a good friend of mine only child drowned. It really motivated me to learn to swim as I have a 4 year old who is petrified of the water. I loved and needed to see this. I'm 35, and I almost drowned when I was 6 and honestly hadn't really been in water for 29 yrs. Today, my husband took my daughter and I to the pool, and I learned to float. I'm breaking generational curses because much of my family doesn't know how to swim. So congrats to you and wish you much fun with your daughter and wife in the water!
best of luck! im rooting for you!
you can do it!! I almost drowned twice (first time a priest saved me and the second time my dog saved me) My brother did drown the year after my dog saved me. So it took me many many lessons well into my twenties to finally learn. I actually enjoyed it enough that I would use it as my “reward” for long study sessions for my CPA test. Fast forward 34 years, I am 66 and trying to get relaxed enough to swim freestyle the length of the pool. I keep going back to just get in the water, relax and practice kicking. My goal is to get to 20 laps which is where I was when I was pregnant with my child who is now 34 years old. Just keep getting in the water as much as you can
i'm 26 and started learining just 3 days ago. i always had the fear of water and today I floated first time without any equipment and support.
W
Am 26 as well and am about to start.
Good job
Well done! What is the secret of floating? I’m 32 and taking 1:1 lessons - I feel like not being able to float comfortably is my biggest issue ☹️
Wow! So proud of you! And all the others commenting about just learning now! Hope you feel really accomplished!
I am 63 and taking swimming lesson for the first time.! This video really encourages me to continue. Pray for me😊
I’ve always wanted to learn to swim. I’ve lived on the coast my whole life so grew up on the ocean & I also work on the ocean every summer. I knew how when I was really little but my mom would make sure I had a life vest on when at the beach for safety & one day (I was probably 5 or 6) I was thrown in since I knew how to swim, but coming down on my back, seeing the bubbles above me & having to wait until I bobbed back up scared me so bad that I wouldn’t go near the water for years & just lost my ability to swim. But I’ve wanted to learn again for so long. Hopefully one day I can find a teacher & learn how too. Best of luck to you!
Relax, float, glide, that’s all swimming is.
You got this!
Stop the cap
Learning to swim as an adult is not easy. It's time consuming and can be expensive, it took me about 3 years (and interrupted by COVID) to be confident to swim from the pool to open water but it is honestly one of the best investments I have made for myself. It took a lot of patience, consistency, facing my fears and a lot of 5am winter mornings in a cold pool to get there but I'm glad I learned. Still have a long way to go in terms of fixing my form and being more efficient but I'm glad that I can enjoy vacations more and I have the basic survival skills.
I think it's underrated how good Mark is a coaching people to get to their goals. Last week I saw the: Journey to Roth Pt. 1 and it the coaching there is also great. Well done Mark.
Did anyone else cheer when Harry pushed off without the float?
It’s opened up a world of opportunities for him and his daughter, and he should be super proud of himself!
Well done to Mark and GTN for doing this. Can’t wait to see more!
Damn. Who is cutting onions in here? Did not expect to get emotional watching this. So happy for him to get past his fears
I am 46 and never learned to swim after being pushed into a pool when i was very young, sunk to the bottom and had to be rescued. It is on my bucket list of things to do/learn and fear face.
We hope you can overcome the fear, maybe find yourself a confident buddy and try some of these techniques?
The whole key to swimming being relaxed in the water, I would suggest learning to
Float on your back first
I think all of us were thrown in at some point . I was thrown in the deep end by older kids. My scenario was different, I ended up teaching myself to float and swim a bit coz I couldnt stand that my friends could swim. I only need to correct my form.
@@jogmas12thanks ..me learning at 45
@@jogmas12 I can’t float in the swimming pool. water they say it is bone density because I am black is that true or false?
As someone who learnt to swim as an adult during covid I can absolutely empathise with Harry. I missed out on holidays swims with my daughter, got mocked at school swim lessons etc. I couldnt put my head under the water, couldnt let go of the side and couldnt even float on my back. It's been the single hardest thing I've ever done and it takes a long time. Progress will not be linear but stick with it. 3-4 years on and I'm swimming 4 times a week doing 8-9000m and progressing to open water.
Thank you for a full year now I can still only float and do some pull forward and not kicking. So this helped me. I’ll remember growth is linear. Thanks.
I learned how to swim at 35 years old from videos on this channel. It took me 6 weeks to stop panicking in the water, but I'm so thankful I didn't give up. Learning how to relax and breathe while swimming also taught me how to breathe while running, and I FINALLY unlocked both skills. Watching this video got me emotional along with Harry, as I reflect on how far I've come. Thanks for sharing his journey!
Hello did you have a coach?
@@emeliafeliz91 No, I never had a coach. After about a year, I ended up using the app from MySwimPro. It helped me build up to swimming a mile nonstop. I really enjoyed having the workouts on my watch, but it was expensive lol.
I'm 35 and learning now!
@@mgoogacct Best of luck on your journey! You got this 💪
@@emeliafeliz91 No, I didn’t have a coach, just RUclips lol
One of, if not the most inspiring videos you’ve done.
Fair play to Harry for being so open and honest in where he was but also showing such persistence and strength in overcoming his fear.
Just shows with the right support (which was next level) and time you can do it! Looking forward to the next one!
We loved filming this one! Harry really opened up here, which is great to see 🙌 He smashed his fears, it's only up from here 🚀
My wife is/was learning to swim as an adult. She has had a few goes at it before, over the years, but it never clicked. Learning as an adult is hard.
Her current coach, however, seems to be doing everything right, and this past Wednesday, for the first time ever, she came home and said, "I can swim". Am so happy for her ☺
Aw this is great to hear! Good luck to her, please do let us know how she gets on 🙌
Excellent - 47 and only ever breast stroked - taking lessons for front crawl now - not as easy as it looks
Love how gentle and patient he was with Harry.
The bravery required to put yourself on film as a true beginner like this is amazing. Well done!
I love this video. I was forced to learn to swim as a kid for 3 years, but always associated the pool with the feeling of near drowning, and teachers shouting at me and giving me the feeling I wasn't doing anything right. Now I picked it back up as a 30-year old with a supportive teacher that acknowledges how difficult some of the exercises can be and is helpful and teaches me how to actually get better. The most incredible feeling was a few weeks ago when I managed my first 100m continuous crawl and realised I was enjoying myself and feeling relaxed while doing it.
I could cry, Harry made amazing progress and Mark is such an understanding empathetic teacher. Can't wait for episode 2.
I learnt to swim just after COVID. I started in the corner of the pool blowing bubbles, progressing to sinking mushrooms and then swimming slow lengths. Slow progressive steps is key. It needs to be done at the learners pace, in a controlled environment and allowing breaks or even regression. The moment you become uncomfortable it's buggered.
I learnt by following some of the older videos from GTN and they were really helpful. I've gone from being a non-swimmer to comfortably swimming 2k 3 times a week at a decent pace. I now do a lot of stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, sea swimming and snorkelling. Thanks to GTN for helping get me to where I am now.
Ultimate respect for Harry. So much courage to want to overcome a life long fear. Set himself a tough challenge and took it head on. That’s awesome. 🙌
What progress in one lesson, really brave of Harry to do this, even more to do it on camera! Really supportive teaching by Mark, a really good video for GTN to make. Hopefully someone watching will pluck up the courage to start learning after watching this. Nice work GTN.
We hope so too! Thanks to Harry for letting us be part of his journey 🙌
This video could not have come at a better time. I am good at running, okay at cycling and suck at swimming. It was nice to see that i am not the only one trying to get better.
totally relate to Harry, when i was a 30 year old i couldn't get across a 25m pool without having to stop a significant number of times. overcoming the fear is massive, i have to work on it every time i go swimming. i'm now 44 and this last weekend i completed Challenge Wales middle distance with my first competitive sea swim. even then i really struggled in the first lap, had a word with myself during the australian exit and had a much better swim in the second lap. but the struggle is real. got to keep going and it will get easier. massive respect to all the adult learners
I am 49 years old. At the end of summer, I decided to finally learn to swim-a goal I’d been putting off for years. I started three weeks ago.
After my sixth session, here’s what I’ve noticed: I’m most motivated to freestyle swimming, but the breathing is definitely the hardest part. I’ve never felt this motivated before. Finally, I actually enjoy going to the pool and don’t get a knot in my stomach. The swimming lessons I had as a child, 30-40 years ago, were terrible. Now, I’m happy to see I’m not alone, and we’re all motivating each other.
This is how ai learned to swim properly in my 40s, an excellent coach taught me to be comfortable in the water, to enjoy its feel. Once i relaxed and got used to be under water, I then started to learn the stroke. Now I miss water when cant swim. Yesterday, I stopped while swimming in a Scottish Loch to appreciate it all. Learning to swim as an adult is so hard but also a huge achievement.
The timing on this is wild. This is literally me right now, I'm 28. Had a similar childhood experience to Harry when I was young during a Scouts camp. I'm three days in to swim classes and I can float pretty comfortably on my front and back now. I am learning how to breathe while doing freestyle now.
This is so awesome. I find myself rooting for this person so much. It is literally moving me to tears because I can see how much it means to him. Just like how it meant so much to me. I also learned to swim as an adult. I am 57. I learned to swim at the age of 50. I absolutely love it. It is life changing .It's actually a spiritual experience. I really enjoy seeing people's joy and excitement as they make progress learning to swim. I can relate to this joy. Once they learn to swim I believe they will be hooked for life and love it just as I do.
This is very inspiring to watch. I have swam most of my young life and love it so seeing people do it for the first time is so good. NEVER be embarrassed, we are all at our own levels and its easy to say that but keep it in your mind. Swimming is almost like meditation for me and I would recommend it for anyone.
I'm taking swim lessons at 44 with a similar fear and story. I've floated, backstroked and floated with my face in the water over the last month. I cried at the end of every milestone and totally feel Harry's overwhelming emotions.
I can't believe how invested I was in Harry's progress! Really emotional seeing him conquering his fears bit by bit. Massive respect to Harry for his bravery and persistence and to Mark for his kindness skill and encouragement in guiding him through it. I was punching the air with joy every time he achieved the next level!
I learned to swim in my early 30s. It was one of the most humbling but rewarding things I've done. It's still a work in progress and I get tense to begin with, but just keep chipping away on it.
I am 59 and learning to swim.
I have no fear of water and enjoy it. But i want my elder sister ( she is terrified of water) to learn when she comes to me on her vacation. Shall show her your videos ❤ thank you
Holy moly! So many bad experiences in the water reinforced over so many years. That would be an incredibly difficult fear to overcome. Congratulations to Harry!!!!! One of the lessons here is to teach kids to swim while they're young as it'll just get harder as they become older. (And the other lesson is to have a good teacher)
I'm 23 and when I was younger I really struggled with learning to swim. I was very scared of the water and the environment even though it was a controlled swimming pool. Lucky for me I have a supportive mother who at the time took the effort and extra time to teach me not to be afraid of the water and how to properly swim. I can't imagine how hard it must be for the people who didn't get support or even got traumatized by certain events related to bodies of water.
I myself am still scared of natural bodies of water but at least I know how to swim and push myself over that fear to a certain extend. I wish all those learning to swim at an older age good luck, you're never too late to learn and if anything it shows great courage.
What an interesting perspective this video was. I personally cannot remember learning how to swim. Quite young I guess as I’ve always been comfortable in the water. Rough or calm, for literal hours snorkeling. Good luck to all of you learners watching this it’s worth it!
Thank you for this video! I recognized myself completely- fearful of the water and quickly going back to the safety of my feet after a short float. I was crying by the end, so proud of his success and recognizing the hurdles overcome! Inspiring for sure!
Absolutely love this for Harry.! Lifetime swimmers can take this feeling for granted but there really isn’t anything better than learning to swim when you’re older. Can’t wait to see Harry swimming lengths soon.
Currently learning how to swim as an adult. This gives me hope and motivation to keep going!
Tears! I used to know how to swim underwater as a kid, but I don't know what happened. I have this huge fear of the sea, and only recently have I been trying to face it. I can swim above water, but once my head goes under, I'm terrified. By exposing myself more and more, I can feel the anxiety decreasing, and watching this video reminded me that I'm not alone in these fears. At any age, we can push ourselves. Thank you.
thank you so much for this series. I am 20 years old and a pretty fit roadie, but a very weak swimmer. I really hope your advice will make me more efficient and help me enjoy swimming way more in the future
Such an informative display of the challenges for non swimmers. I learned before I knew fear. Very touching view of what it’s like to learn late.
Thank you for doing this series, I swam when I was younger and came back to it a few years ago (now 51) and really am glad I did. To see the progress for someone who was clearly scared was great and an encouragement to others.
Really inspirational video GTN... Mark, that was A+ coaching and support! You got this Harry! 👏
The fear is real. For Harry to show vulnerability and getting to the stage he got to fantastic. Mark really showed the patience a true coach should have when teaching. I went through the same thing many years ago but the words of Heather (GTN) were "keep at it even if the gains are small". I now can pound out 3800 meters but there are times when anxiety creeps in. I can control it now and love the swim of the triathlon.
I’m taking my first lesson tomorrow morning and just watching him blow bubbles make my heart beat fast and tears are rolling down my cheeks. I don’t think I can go.
I'm 41.... dead scared of water ever since I nearly drowned when I was 11.
However this year I took my first plunge into a pool...the shallow end 😅.
And to my surprise, I can float and I could swum.. well, not really.
This month marks the 4th time that I have swam in a pool and thanks to my friends, they taught me the basics and I now can swim at least 10 to 15 mts. I'm sure I'll get better
I love this! I never learned how to swim as a kid. I did some lessons in college and learned to float but that was as far as I got. I have a kid now and I want him to learn how to swim. My husband is a good swimmer so we've been going to pool once a week. This is so encouraging!
This was so amazing to watch. Well done to Harry for putting himself through this so he can join in with his young family. As others have said Mark is also a fantastic coach, which makes all the difference. Hopefully in time you'll come to love swimming and everything about it.
Congrats Harry #SuperNice 🔥Let's get you on a mountain bike next!
Wow Harry. You’re incredible to progress like you did. Thank you Mark. What a coach!
I can relate to the fears Harry has. I’m still working on conquering my fears. It’s definitely a lot to think about and remember.
Absolutely amazing by Harry! I'm currently taking lessons having restarted swimming 2 years ago by myself. I had a similarly horrid experience as a child but decided to conquer my fears.
let's go Harry!!!! Absolute beast!!! being in the water is the most non human thing, incredible courage and i can guarantee in a couple months you'll be comfortably doing laps at the pool. keep it up mate 👏👏
That's so great to watch you helping Harry overcome his fear. Huge respect for both of you! Keep it up!
Well done Harry on challenging yourself. It's not easy overcoming your fears.
I really can't wait to see the rest of your journey.
I am 95 and just satarted swimming... Pray for me😢
Woo it's real great
Awesome ❤❤❤❤
You got THIS!!!
Yes
Big ups to Harry! Just hang in there. You’ll get it, one day everything just “clicks”. Remember to try and have fun.
GTN this is an awesome video. Mark, hats off for the patience.
I have such huge respect for this fella. He did soooo good!
Great video! as an adult onset swimmer myself I did not have this much fear to deal with at the start Well done to have the courage to overcome the fear and great to see the care Marc takes in his instruction. I was proud and I wasn’t even there.
Learnt to swim as an adult 2 years ago ...I have been open lake swimming now for the past 2 months with a tow float sometimes if I go out for more than an hour ... I find it easy and relaxing ....Never really was interested in swimming as a kid or as younger adult . I taught my six year old too how to tread water and float but he will be taking professional lessons soon .
Well done! He’s controlling those fears and learning to be confident in the water!
In my mid 40's i started by going to the kiddy pool each morning and as others where in lane pool swimming laps,i was just putting my face in the water and tried to blow bubbles. It was hard. I started with a snorkel mask even and slowly worked to goggles. I get it...
I hard my first lesson yesterday after 30 years. I’m a 47 was terrified. It took everything to pick my feet off the floor. I didn’t muster up the courage to try with floats and not hang on to the wall. But it’s my first lessons and I will try again. Your video has given me courage to keep going. Goggles are fantastic. I need ear plugs because the feeling of water going into my ears stopped me putting my head under. I have to work just being in the pool and moving around and letting go. Great video thank you.
2nd lesson. I let go today. Feels great.
This gives me hope. I’m 52 and can’t swim. I feel like if I have to, I could. I know what to do but afraid to try in front of others. I was under 8 yrs old when I jumped off the high dive coz friends called me a scaredy cat. I almost drowned and teenagers jumped in to save me. In 6th grade, I was thrown in a pool by a friend’s brother who knew I couldn’t swim. I’ve been afraid since.
start swim at 31,now at 33 just finish my 2k swim at pool pace 2.20 avg.just consistant 2 swim per week.no coach,only youtube. i believe everyone can do it if you put an effort&slot it into your weekly routine 🔥
Omg the ending brought tears to my eyes. 😢 I'm 34 and have my first lesson tomorrow and you have given me hope. 😢❤ I'm SO excited and ready!!! It's going to be such a HUGE relief and confidence boost to learn this life skill I always missed out on.
WELL DONE dude, you did it!! 🎉🎉🎉
I did do swimming lessons in primary school and secondary school but I didn't have the best swimming coaches cos they were a bit too strict and demanding so I never learned how to swim properly. This is on my bucket list. Definitely.
Well done mate!!! Mad props for facing your fear head on. Slow and steady progress will get you there as long as you are persistent! Mark and GTN are a great crew. Supportive, patient and great teachers. I've been very grateful to this team who have encouraged me to push my own boundaries and try things i never thought i could do.
Bravo Harry!! We all have our fears and watching you overcome was super inspiring. Great coaching, Mark! Thanks GTN for this video.
I'm 36 and currently in the process of learning to swim 😊🙏❤️🏊♀️
This is an awesome video and great coaching from Mark. The raw side Harry showed in front of the camera is inspiring! I remember using a kickboard when I was learning. Good luck on your journey Harry 🏊🏻♂️
*I'm sure Harry learned to swim and probably swims quite well: I'd love to see an update on him and see his progress today.* 💖💖💖
Great work Harry, not only learning a new skill as an adult but also facing your fears.
I learnt to do basic swimming as a kid but couldn’t put my face in the water or be in water if I couldn’t touch the bottom, learning to swim freestyle at almost 50 was tough and I’m not a strong or fast swimmer even now but I can do enough to get through an IM swim.
Stick at it, looking forward to the next instalment 😊
What a video! Probably my favourite video so far! And HUGE props to Harry for doing this on camera and getting so far in this short time!
Great how you went step by step and not just "chucking him in to the deep" - which in this case would be the rabiate version quite literally...
This video has helped me so much!!! As I looked and listened to this story I could see myself. It’s so mental. Our fears sometimes hold us back from such great life enjoyment. Great job my guy 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
As one who was brutally humiliated in my youth for failing to swim and made fun of, I genuinely wanted to go on a rampage, and that desire has remained to this day😢
We can start our journey together
That look on his face when he kicked and float without anything. That’s me when I realized it’s mind over matter
soo nice, really lovely series and mark is just the best teacher!! already looking forward to episode 2.
You are very encouraging and patient, mark
Thank you for this video! It’s always good to get some perspective on people with reservations towards something, and this video definitely gave a good insight. Also well bloody done for the guts of going through, that head below water segment showed how big that hurdle must have been
I was not fearful of water, I just had very stiff shoulders, ankles and arms, plus I could never float to save my life. So my learning experience had never been good. I finally learned 5 years ago in my forties. Think I could have done it earlier had I had a coach like Mark.
Congratulations Harry , a huge accomplishment
I know this is for swimming but I wondered if there’s a video on your site for the same thing but with riding a bike?
Also on this video, it was awesome to watch! Great seeing someone take on that mental block and challenge themselves
Looking forward to seeing Harry’s progress on the channel.
So when i was 5 and living in South africa, my uncle pushed me into an outside pool. I nearly drowned, so the fear is real, but my matey kept on asking me to do a triathlon with him, so i finally agreed, knowing i could hardly swim and had a massive fear of water. But you know what i did it 🤦♂️🤓 youtube and one private lesson. So this really hits home 👊🏽
I learned to swim at 52. I was petrified of deep water. I took lessons at the ymca. It took a while, but now I lap swim and I passed my lifeguard test.
Pretty nuts that this video uploaded as I’m getting in the pool this evening for the first time in 2 years, and I didn’t know how to swim at all 3 years ago.
Good luck! 🙌 Let us know how it all goes!
Me too
So amazing video, had tears in my eyes. So touched. When the motivation is there and a little help on the road- anything is possible.
😇🏊🏻♂️😍
Beginner tips (?) - this is when I worked with children. How to floating on the back - I keep my hand under the neck on the child just with my fingers and promise them that I will not let his/hers face come under water.
When they feel good with that they can start kicking with their feet and I still follow them with my hand like a support.
Cool to see other peoples experiences with swimming as I have always loved swimming and it came very naturally to me when I was younger, when he was saying about the things that scare him like the smell and the depth, those are the things I love when going to the pool 😂
I learned how to swim last year at 36 yrs old. I can swim confidently now but I still get scared (without a swim buoy) on waters where my feet can't reach the bottom.
35, looking into starting lessons. Im not afraid. I just dont know what im doing. My son is 4 and he is absolutely afraid of the water. I want to learn so I can help him. Breaks my heart to see how afraid of the water he is.
He has a natural kick! This guy really missed out on some natural ability!!! See you at the start line some day!
When I was 6 I fell in a really deep pool but I turned 12 and after 6 years later I conquered my fear and started swimming again now I am swimming everyday
I am starting my swimming lessons next week Tuesday and I am nervous. I almost drowned at a friend's pool party when I was a kid, and I have been terrified of water ever since. But I can't run at the moment because of an injury. So, I decided to take up swimming.
Tip: get the pool noodle around ur waist on hold on to the ends it makes a much more comfortable position
Learned to swim at age of 37, started two years ago. Went directly to professional trainer who knows how to teach adults. Because I know stories that when you try to learn yourself at adult age, you can learn so wrong movements that it's almost impossible to learn the right ones later again.
2 months intense trainings and I was able to crawl. Of course we are still perfecting the technique to get me ready to do my first ever half triathlon this summer🤘. Goal is simply to finish in time limit.
I've never been afraid of water. Ironically I've done many water sports before - kitesurfing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, all kinds of water parks etc.. But ironically never even had proper skill to float without lifejacket.
But THE MAIN reason to learn properly swim and float was because I really badly wanted to do canyoning without the fear of jumping into water from high altitudes. Even jump from 1 meter platform scared me.. Today 10m no problem ☺.
This channel has given me a lot of teaching moments over the past two years and motivation to learn swimming to just be healthy and in normal shape.
Thank you guys!!! 🙏🙏
I also learned to swim at the same age as you. It was nerve wracking, as I had a few near drowning trauma experiences from growing up. But I chose to not let my past fear dictate the present. It feels great finally being able to swim and learn a life / survival skill, and a sense of accomplishment inside!
I am 55 and am enrolled in classes now. I too am facing my fears as I lose my balance, my footing
Starting lessons next week. Haven’t swam since middle school. Almost 40 now.
Second best time to plant a tree is today.
Iam 35 years new learner one thing I have done with my last lesson was to hold your breath and you will float but Iam struggling with kicks