In an effort to keep fit after my spinal cord injury (SCI), I taught myself to swim again. I dutifully went twice a week, doing ten lengths doggy paddle, some breast stroke and a lot of trying to stay afloat. Pete, the lifeguard, would regularly scoff at my feeble efforts and tell me to do more before I got out. Someone introduced me to a pull buoy and I got a chance to try front crawl using just my arms. I built up by adding two lengths per session and within a year I was swimming three times a week and really reaping the benefits. My back was less stiff and painful, I lost some weight and I no longer suffered from depression.
A brand new Leisure Centre opened in February 2010 with lunch time lane swimming and I started building up my endurance so that I could swim a mile three times a week. The thing is, although I enjoyed my swimming, I needed a reason for doing it all, a purpose, aside from the health benefits. When Layla, a seasoned Triathlete, suggested that I should have a go at triathlon, I knew cycling and running were never going to happen. We thought about a team event and I'd heard about the Liverpool Triathlon through The Back-Up Trust as it was an inclusive event. A search on the net revealed One Step Beyond and tons of events in the Midlands! I also found Lincoln tri Club and my journey had begun...
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