People Features

Alexandria was 11 and had just started high school.

Her first swimming lesson wasn't what you'd call successful: "As I came out the changing room a boy pushed me in the deep end.

"Somebody had to jump in and save me and I've been terrified of being out of my depth ever since then.

"I've been occasionally into the sea, occasionally into a pool, but never above chest level because I just start panicking.

"Then I thought, 'Well, this is stupid, I'm nearly 70, I'm going to learn to swim, I'll do it,' (she laughs).

"Then, when I saw the competition [to mark the opening of Freeman's Quay leisure centre] I thought, 'Well, if I win, it's meant to be'."

Alexandria during a swimming lesson

A chest infection has meant she's had to suspend her lessons but, if she doesn't manage to learn before she's 70, she says she'll still learn: "The few times that I've been now into the new swimming baths Margaret the instructor was so encouraging, she was really nice.

"And the fact that I started off in the learner pool, where I wouldn't be out of my depth no matter where I went in the pool, has given me confidence.

"Whether I'll be the same when I go into the bigger pool I don't know, but I think that's probably something they will help me to overcome."

Fine in the shallow end

Apart from a few lessons at Spennymoor baths with a friend, which they stopped going to, this is her first real attempt at learning to swim.

With only four sessions under her (life)belt she's doing well.

She says: "With Margaret walking beside me, telling me what to do, I've more or less mastered the breast stroke and the crawl - it's just that I need to perfect them.

Freeman's Quay pool

"But my biggest drawback is going to be deeper water. And that's what I want to achieve, to be able to swim and have confidence in water that is deeper than my height."

She knows how to do it - she just needs to believe she can do it when she hasn't got the floor within reach: "I just panic so badly that I flounder. (She laughs) 'I'm sinking'! And that's the bit I want to master more than anything else."

They don't have water wings, but polystyrene floats have come in handy and she found using goggles useful since getting water in her eyes made her panic too.

Holidays in the pool, not by it

She's very pleased with herself and was very frustrated when she had to stop. She hopes the confidence will still be there when she goes back.

Alexandria, near the edge

Especially since her husband has booked a surprise holiday for her birthday and she wants to be able to swim - in pool or sea - when she gets there.

She's been on so many holidays where she wished she'd been able to swim: "We went away last November. It was a lovely pool but it was all about 6ft deep and I kept looking at these people swimming and thinking, 'Why can't I do that? I want to'.

"But I didn't dare get in the pool because I knew that a couple of feet from the edge and I'd be panicking. And my husband doesn't swim, so I thought I really must master this." 

I ask if she's going to drag him in once she's learnt. She quickly says no. She knows he won't, she says: "He never even wears swimming trunks."

She thinks he can swim, since he took their daughters swimming when they were younger, but it doesn't appeal now. But the seeds have been sown and I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't try, once she's feeling more confident herself, to persuade him into the deep end.