Beth Davis

Swimming Instructor – Competitive Swimmers – Adults Learning to Swim – Triathletes – Young Competitive Swimmers – Getting Children Started

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Lesson Eight: Vertigo, Flu, and Life

By Shoney

It can’t all be fun — learning to swim, learning anything.  In Lesson Eight, I hit a big bump followed by a few weeks of struggle and doubt.

Part of it was timing. October was full of wonderful life events — but still time-consuming, exhausting. I hosted my first Open Studios, two weekends jam-packed with art lovers visiting my studio — a success far beyond what I had hoped for.  Then a quick trip to London for my only child’s wedding — moving, exciting, and fun but emotionally exhausting in addition to the eight-hour flight each way, trapped with hundreds of coughing people and the time adjustment.

I went to Lesson Eight (after Open Studios and before my trip to London) with the excitement and joy I’ve gotten used to feeling before each lesson, though I had practiced only once between lessons.

Beth was moving my hips and legs for the kicks, and I was making sure I could see my arm and hand in the imaginary box in front of my head while the other came forward in the air preparing to enter the water. She asked me if I could feel the weight of my stroking arm coming up and over — was I bending my wrist, making a tight fist, or letting my hands be loose and wrist straight?

Beth was turning me over and over — I was thrilled because I was breathing and moving my arms and kicking and so excited to be doing something that felt close to swimming, when suddenly the world tipped and I felt sick to my stomach. I recognized the severe vertigo as it hit. I’d experienced it a few times in the past, absolutely hate it, and never want to experience it again. I thought the feeling might pass and I so wanted to keep experimenting and experiencing swimming, the rolling over — and then it hit again, the world tipping, and stomach dropping. I had to stop my lesson and felt extremely nauseous walking back to the locker room. Taking a shower was a challenge, the world continued to tilt and rock.

I didn’t want to drive home in this state. I sat in my car crying — freaked out and afraid that this would be the reason I wouldn’t learn to swim.

When I got home my partner, Carol, saw how pale and sick I looked and didn’t have to insist I lie down immediately.

I came down with a bad case of the flu. It stayed with me the next four days.

After the flu passed, I made myself go back to the pool to practice. I didn’t feel the ease or excitement that I’d come to expect. I felt sad and apprehensive and angry that I’d had vertigo and that it had left me feeling uncertain.

For the first time I approached my next lesson with apprehension and fear, afraid that I would experience nauseating vertigo.

I didn’t tell Beth how sad and frustrated I’d felt after the last lesson. I felt betrayed by my body and I was afraid that maybe I really couldn’t learn to swim. These kinds of things don’t slip by Beth though. At the end of the lesson she gave me a hug. It made me feel like she wasn’t giving up on me — that she believed I would learn to swim.  So far, the flu was the cause of the vertigo because it hasn’t returned.

 

Dear Shoney:  I would never give up on you or any student. I know you’ll reach your goal. Your determination is impressive. Life happens to all of us. The trick is to pick one’s self up again after a setback and trust in the process.  ~Beth

Life Altering Experiences …

Stories from Courageous Adults Learning to Swim

My inspiration for asking my adult students to write about their swimming experiences came from reading an article in the Wall Street Journal. The journalist had interviewed me for the piece on adults … [Read More...]

ROKA Sports Partnership

roka-logo2SwimBoulder, Inc. has partnered with ROKA  to bring all of you the best quality swim gear at a discounted price. Contact me to learn more about this benefit.

What Beth's Clients Are Saying

Beth Davis is an amazing coach. She worked with me to create a plan that pushed my limits while supporting and fitting it into my everyday life. She believed in me when I had no idea of my strengths and limitations. Best of all, she consistently pushed me to look within. I highly recommend Beth for her personalized approach, her consistent support, and her superior knowledge as a coach and athlete.

— Erin Blakemore
Beth Davis
2023-09-26T23:03:42+00:00
Beth Davis is an amazing coach. She worked with me to create a plan that pushed my limits while supporting and fitting it into my everyday life. She believed in me when I had no idea of my strengths and limitations. Best of all, she consistently pushed me to look within. I highly recommend Beth for her personalized approach, her consistent support, and her superior knowledge as a coach and athlete. — Erin Blakemore
https://swimboulder.com/testimonials/beth-davis-is-an-amazing-coach
I came to Beth when I was 11 years old. At that point I liked swimming, but had had little success in competition. One year later I qualified for summer league finals for the first time. In high school, I qualified for State and earned a spot on an All-American relay. Through Beth’s help, I was recruited by Division III schools and ended up swimming for Claremont McKenna College, where I had success in numerous conference finals. Without her help, I would not be the swimmer or person I am today.

— Nathan Lenssen
Beth Davis
2023-09-26T23:05:17+00:00
I came to Beth when I was 11 years old. At that point I liked swimming, but had had little success in competition. One year later I qualified for summer league finals for the first time. In high school, I qualified for State and earned a spot on an All-American relay. Through Beth’s help, I was recruited by Division III schools and ended up swimming for Claremont McKenna College, where I had success in numerous conference finals. Without her help, I would not be the swimmer or person I am today. — Nathan Lenssen
https://swimboulder.com/testimonials/when-i-was-11-years-old
When I started working with Beth I was the typical 9-year-old who didn't want to focus on anything for more than 10 seconds. I went from only being a breaststroker (and a slow one at that) to a well-rounded swimmer, getting relay spots in freestyle and excelling at butterfly, posting State times in all three strokes in my time at Fairview High School. Beth was very positive about my personal development as well and helped give me confidence that was hard to find elsewhere.

— Michael Lenssen
Beth Davis
2023-09-26T23:05:45+00:00
When I started working with Beth I was the typical 9-year-old who didn't want to focus on anything for more than 10 seconds. I went from only being a breaststroker (and a slow one at that) to a well-rounded swimmer, getting relay spots in freestyle and excelling at butterfly, posting State times in all three strokes in my time at Fairview High School. Beth was very positive about my personal development as well and helped give me confidence that was hard to find elsewhere. — Michael Lenssen
https://swimboulder.com/testimonials/didnt-want-to-focus
When I was 5 years old, I fell out of a boat in the middle of Broadmoor Lake. Since then I have had a continuing fear of water. Beth Davis has helped me ease that fear, to begin to trust myself in the water, through amazing patience and understanding. She has zillions of exercises for me to try in the water; if one is too hard, she comes up with another that's easier.

Beth is a topnotch swimming instructor. She is knowledgeable, dedicated, and kind.

— Jane Carlson, age 72
Beth Davis
2023-09-26T23:06:15+00:00
When I was 5 years old, I fell out of a boat in the middle of Broadmoor Lake. Since then I have had a continuing fear of water. Beth Davis has helped me ease that fear, to begin to trust myself in the water, through amazing patience and understanding. She has zillions of exercises for me to try in the water; if one is too hard, she comes up with another that's easier. Beth is a topnotch swimming instructor. She is knowledgeable, dedicated, and kind. — Jane Carlson, age 72
https://swimboulder.com/testimonials/fell-out-of-a-boat
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Contact Beth Davis • 303.554.8857 • [email protected]