Susan Bryant
Lori Lyle
If you’ve swum at the DesertView pool in the last year, there’s a good chance you’ve met one of the most friendly and energetic new members of the SaddleBrooke Swim Club: Susan Bryant. Susan, aka Susie, joined the Swim Club last year after her partner Mike Schwarz taught her to swim freestyle. Susie did not have a history of swimming, but Mike, who swam in high school, knew all the strokes and thought that Susie would be a natural. It turns out she is!
When I talked to Susie about her experience in the Swim Club, she had nothing but great things to say. First and foremost, Susie talked about her joy in the water. She says sometimes when she’s moving through the water, she feels like she’s flying and gliding through air. It gives her a sense of freedom and joy. If she is having a bad day or dealing with anything sad in her life, swimming gives her serenity—she uses her time in the pool as meditation and time to focus. She states she “always leaves the pool happy and grateful that I came … excited about small victories and things I can learn.” She says it’s the perfect way to keep her mind agile and her body fit.
One of the big draws of Swim Club membership—mentioned by all SaddleBrooke swimmers, including Susie—is the camaraderie. Some of the words Susie uses to describe her experience in the club are uplifting, helpful, and supportive. She finds the other swimmers a constant source of helpfulness, positivity, and fun. And as a fellow swimmer, I can attest that Susie certainly gives as good as she gets in terms of positivity!
If you would like to experience the joy of swimming like Susie but first need to learn to swim or cannot yet swim one length of the pool, please consider the Swim Club’s free “Learn-to-Swim” Clinic offered to all residents (no need to be in the Swim Club). The next free clinic will be offered in six sessions from April 10 through 21 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. Feel free to contact Terese Butler at [email protected] to sign up.
If you can already swim and would like to swim with others, please come try a few free practices before joining the club. To learn more, visit saddlebrookeswimclub.org.
Come see for yourself how new members like Susie make the club a vibrant and positive experience for everyone involved!