swimming

Lane swimming

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I’m sure this is not the first post here – but I need to vent my frustration. I’m an overweight, woman in my 40’s. I also happen to be a keen swimmer – currently in training for a 5mile open water swim. Frequently when swim at my local pool I find male swimmers who, either overestimate their own abilities or underestimate mine, will not give way and allow me to pass when I catch them, or will start just before I turn so I have to pause, slow my speed or battle to overtake them in a narrow lane. I know that happens to guys too, but it happens way more frequently when you’re a middle aged woman with a wobbly belly. Sometimes it makes me angry – I have had full on swimrage and on several occasions have confronted men o to point out how rude they’re being. Mostly it makes me frustrated and sad that I can’t relax and enjoy my swimming.

Anon

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For about 20 years I was regularly sexually assaulted in the local swimming pool. I took up swimming for fitness when I was about 35. The assaults always took place underwater. Of course swimmers sometimes touch by accident, followed by embarrassed apologies. But this was different. The assailant was an elderly gentleman and NEVER apologised. He would manoeuvre himself alongside me and touch lingeringly my thigh, groin or breast with his hand. I wasn’t his only victim. Before the changing rooms were redeveloped as ‘village’ changing (which he avoided, always using the gym ‘dry change’ instead) we used to discuss him in the ladies’ change area. I generally tried to keep out of his way, but it wasn’t always possible if the pool was crowded. One day I when it had been particularly upsetting (touching my breast several times) I did complain to the staff. They told me I was imagining it because he was ‘a lovely, charming old gent’. Only a swimming teacher whom I knew stood up for me. As I live in a small town I used to see him around – but he never showed any signs of recognition. Amazingly I was once even in his house for a committee meeting hosted by his wife. He had been watching tv upstairs and I got quite a shock when he appeared as we were all leaving! I haven’t seen him for a few years now. Perhaps he is dead …

Catherine

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When I used to work as a lifeguard (recently quit as I couldn’t handle being the workplace object), I went for a swim after working a shift. My colleague was lifeguarding and wearing the wrong colour socks for our uniform, so as I was in a good mood I decided to joke around and tell him ‘you’re not supposed to be wearing those socks’, to which his response was ‘I’ll only take orders from you when you’re wearing a white bikini’.