WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE ABLE TO SWIM?

When someone tells me that their child can swim, I often find myself asking, "what exactly do you mean by swimming?"

It's a question worth exploring, particularly when swimming ability can mean something very different from one person to another.

Does moving a few feet through the water constitute swimming? What about floating independently,or travelling underwater while holding your breath? Or does being able to swim involve something more?

After more than 35 years of teaching swimming, from introducing babies to the water, to teaching swimmers of all ages, abilities and individual requirements, I believe understanding the definition of swimming is essential.

So, what is the definition of swimming?

In its simplest form, swimming is the ability to propel oneself through water using coordinated movements of the body and limbs.

But from a professional teaching perspective, there is more to consider. Swimming involves the coordination of breathing, propulsion, body position, balance,and movement. These elements work together to travel through the water with control and efficiency.

Moving through water does not necessarily demonstrate swimming competence.

For example, a child may be able to travel a short distance underwater whilst holding their breath, but that does not establish their ability to sustain swimming with coordinated breathing.

There is a difference between performing an aquatic movement and demonstrating the ability to swim.

What makes Someone a Swimmer?

For me the, the ability to swim involves several fundamental skills working together.

Breathing: The ability to exhale into the water and coordinate breathing with swimming movements.

Propulsion: Using arms, legs and body effectively to move through the water.

Body Position: Maintaining balance and alignment to support efficient movement.

Coordination: Bringing breathing, arm movements and leg actions together to produce a controlled stroke.

Stamina and Control: Being able to maintain swimming movements and breathing over a sustained distance.

A swimmer needs to be able to combine them, rather than simply demonstrate one skill independently.

Why Breathing is Fundamental to Swimming

Breathing is one of the earliest skills I introduce in my lessons.

Beginning with controlled exhalation into the water, swimmers gradually learn how to coordinate their breathing with movement.

As swimming develops, breathing becomes part of the rhythm of the stroke.

As a former competitive swimmer, runner and Team USA Dragon Boat Athlete, having represented the USA in 2023 and 2025 and earned six international medals, I understand firsthand the importance of efficient breathing during sustained physical effort.

Whether swimming, running or dragon boat racing, breathing supports oxygen delivery to working muscles, helps maintain rhythm and allows athletes to sustain their technique and performance as fatigue develops. Although breathing patterns differ between these activities, the ability to coordinate breathing with movement remains fundamental.

Whether I'm teaching a young child to blow bubbles, or an adult to coordinate their breathing, the principles of breathing and coordination remain the same. This is why I place so much emphasis on teaching breathing correctly from the beginning. You have to be able to breath correctly in order to swim. The ability to breath appropriately while swimming allows for continued movement, improved coordination and greater efficiency.

When Can We Say Someone Can Swim?

My professional background is rooted in my British swimming education system where I taught across nine schools in the United Kingdom. The British national curriculum expects children to swim competently confidently and proficiently over at least 25 meters unaided by the end of primary school aged 11. It also includes effective use of a range of strokes and safe self rescue skills such as floating, sculling and treading water.

Interestingly, here in America, the American Red Cross, one of the most widely recognized authorities in swimming instruction and aquatic safety in this country, includes swimming 25 yards among its five essential water competency skills.

However, the distance alone does not tell the whole story. In my own teaching, I expect swimmers to demonstrate controlled breathing, coordinated movements, appropriate body position and swimming ability on both their front and backs.

When these elements come together over 25 yards, I am confident in recognizing that swimmer's achievement.

Yes, they can swim

That does not mean they have mastered every swimming stroke, or completed their swimming education. It means they have demonstrated the fundamental ability to swim.

A Skill for Life

One of the greatest rewards of my teaching career is seeing how swimming ability can remain with us thoughout our lives.

I currently have the pleasure of working with a 97 year old former competitive AAU Swimmer who had swum for Yale. What fascinated me was seeing those early foundations still present, particularly his breathing and coordination, even after so many decades.

It was a wonderful reminder that these foundations of siwmming can stay with us for a lifetime.