I WAS genuinely scared about what was going to happen next. The last time I was in this situation, I was ten years old, so obviously it was a long, long time ago. I was on the side of the pool at Stockton Swimming Baths, having a word with my mate Michael. I had got as far as confirming our post-pool meeting at Pete’s Snack Bar at the end of the high street when person or persons unknown thought it would be funny to push me in.

And it would have been funny... except I couldn’t swim.

However, as it turned out, I was an expert in nearly drowning. After I plunged in headfirst, and discovered that the water was taller than I was, I panicked. I flapped around underwater and got stuck behind the steps, breathing my last. Just in time I was fished out, pumped dry by someone violently encouraging me to cough and, having being certified as shocked but alive, I was sent on my way.

That was just the start. For two years after that I suffered the most vivid nightmares about drowning, so severe that I used to wake myself up. And well after that, I avoided water at all costs (apart from the morning shower, of course.) Now I’ve decided I don’t want to be on the side of the pool pretending I’m having just as good a time as everyone who is in it; I want to join in. I also want to keep fit without putting undue strain on whatever muscles and functioning joints I have left. It was time to face the nightmare.

And that is how I find myself sitting at the shallow end of a swimming pool, ankle deep in water on the steps, listening to Stephanie Dutton.

And being scared.

Stephanie sees a lot of people like me, from the aquaphobic to people who just never got around to learning, and she says she has helped them all. Will she be able to claim that after our two sessions? It was time to join her in the water.

I held on to Stephanie’s forearms while we walked, chest-deep, from side to side in the pool. She talked calmly about becoming more mindful of my breathing. I tried to listen to her, at the same time trying not to become anxious about the ever-rising water level.

The first big hurdle was to overcome my fear of submerging. Submerging: even typing the word makes me feel sick and it was only Stephanie’s calm and encouraging words that stopped me making a run for the car. (And yes, I know I only had swimming trunks on, but that wouldn’t have stopped me.) We went through a series of in and out breaths, me holding my tummy to feel the in breath and allowing my lips to dip into the water so I could hear the bubbling on the out.

The emphasis is working with the water, not against it. After half an hour of calming reassurance from Stephanie, and breath control practice aplenty, it was time to confront my fear. I bent my knees and – breathing out as instructed – went slowly into the water as far as my chin, then came up again, all the time watched and encouraged by Stephanie. This process continued until I managed to get my mouth in the water, blowing bubbles as I exhaled, standing up and inhaling, and gaining confidence all the time.

The next exercise was to float on my front.

Stephanie explained that it’s much easier to float – and a lot less stressful on the muscles – if my neck and head were aligned with my back – and that meant putting my face in the water. After a bit of encouragement, I put my face under water for the first time since “The Baths Incident”. This was a major step forward.

I still didn’t like it, but I was calm enough to resist trying to swallow half the pool like I did last time. This giant step eventually allowed me to eventually float and glide, head in the water, calm and tension free. A good day all round.

Overall, Stephanie teaches about greater body awareness and alignment, strengthening the relationship between mind and body. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all-approach. “My philosophy is not what I’m teaching the pupil, but what they are teaching me because everyone is different,” she says.

The next day we recapped and progressed to a doggy paddle, and also practised how to end up standing in the water after the glide.

This meant I could be anywhere in this particular pool and be okay. (Well it would have done if I could have got the hang of it.) Stephanie was patience personified, and amazingly positive. “Everyone and anybody can learn – it’s not about swimming, it’s about enjoying the water for what it is,” she says.

“Swimming will happen later after you have learnt to enjoy the basics and gained a solid foundation”.

Despite my feet scrabbling for the umpteenth time trying to get a grip on that solid foundation known as the bottom of the pool, I was well on the way.

As I left the pool I felt extremely relaxed, like you might after a yoga class or a massage, and I was more than pleased with myself. I could immerse my head in the water without panic, float face down, glide, and doggy paddle.

This is the first step in my swimming journey and the main thing is I want to get back into the water soon. And that – after the trauma of Stockton Baths – is nothing short of a miracle.

  • Stephanie’s website: enjoythewater.co.uk