Aqua Therapy| 3 min read

I’m not the strongest swimmer and to be quite honest i haven’t been in a swimming pool for years but never one to refuse a chance to learn something new, i brushed the dust from my swimsuit and i jumped at the chance to go along for the session.

I left the orphanage and along with 5 teachers responsible for taking care of the children who suffer from autism and the trainer Julie, to Beijing City Centre where a pool within a hotel is kindly donated for the children to swim in once a week.

I was a little apprehensive about getting into the water after such a long time and especially after I was told I could act as an assistant to the trainer to demonstrate on. But then I thought – if I could assist in helping others learn some new skills, which the children would benefit from, it would be worth it!

I was told that swimming is a great form of exercise for children with disabilities, as it gives them the freedom to move around, gives them confidence and sharpens their coordination, however as the children are also blind or visually impaired extra precaution and safety measures must be taken in the water.

After a talk about what the session was going to consist of we got into the pool and she demonstrated how to hold the children correctly supporting their heads and keep them afloat.

Next was a scary part, but definitely not the scariest of the session! Some of us put blind folds over our eyes whilst our partners held us afloat in the water.  I had to put my complete trust in someone else to assist me in the water and not being able to see what was happening around me made me really nervous and anxious. It took me a while to feel comfortable, but once I relaxed it began to be a little easier.

Now for the scariest part, we were asked to keep our eyes covered whilst the trainer demonstrated to the teachers how to get the children in and out of the pool comfortably. For this we were spun around a few times so that we lost our bearings before being lowered into the water. I found at this stage my hearing was somewhat heightened trusting my ears to follow the trainers voice for reassurance and what I should do and laying my trust n the person who held my arms.

As the session drew to a close I felt more comfortable in the water than I ever had before. Being able to experience this and put myself in the position of the children if only for an hour or so really did give me a great insight into the benefits of Aqua Therapy and the courage that the children have. The training also reinforces the effort and determination of the staff at the orphanage who are constantly encouraging the children to learn new skills.