Member-only story
How one kick changed my life…
A story from my life
Can you remember that kid who was the last in each race that your primary school PT teacher forced you to run?
Can you remember that kid who did the exact opposite step while the whole class danced in unison?
That was me: the bulky kid who couldn’t run a few meters to save her life.
The Doctors had ascribed it to asthma. My parents were already sick of carrying me off to Colombo at the slightest sign of wheezing. Little pink pills and bright red syrups became my best friends.
Thus I succumbed to the boring and monotonous life until one “kick” came along when I was 11 years old.
“Try swimming. It might help with the lung capacity”, one Doctor had told my parents.
I was excited beyond words! From my young days, I believed that I could swim. I would lie flat in the shallowest end and flap my arms about (Hey I DID look as if I was swimming!). Now here was a chance to prove my skills, or so I thought.
On the very first day, I couldn’t even float. I watched in frustration as kids who were half my age raced past me. Things improved over the years and I managed to grab a few medals at a school sports meet when I was around 19 years old (yes, it took so long!). I still remember the sense of…
