swimming video

was at swimming today,special olympics isnt on in august so am renting out a private pool for some watery fun.
cant wait to go next week.

finaly,first day at special olympics training;photos included!

started special olympics swim training tonight,got one to one teaching in the water by an awesome coach,finaly met the two people in charge of the team and got to know some of the other athletes as well.
didnt think it woud be possible but thanks to the specialist help from the coach was able to learn different strokes in an adapted manner,they think will be in their fastest class in six months,heres some photos-

special olympics competing

finaly have an update on the special olympics front.
am now a athlete of both the cheshire north & west....plus bury special olympics clubs.
from next week am starting swim training with cheshire, and with the bury club am doing boccia from july.

a short post;finaly in with a special olympics GB swim team

am now completely,officialy an athlete of a cheshire special olympics GB swim team.
its just took a while getting it completed as the head coach has taken two of the athletes to america to compete.
cant wait.

a 'new' diagnosis

have finaly come across the assessment that was carried out whilst was sectioned at greenways LD assessment & treatment acute hospital,and discovered something surprising.

as regulars to the blog know,am living in the UK and what we call learning disability is what america calls intelectual disability.

was rediagnosed using the ICD10 from the UK definition of learning disability to mental retardation, and it also said mild mental retardation whereas previously had been told was under severe LD, because people were unable to seperate having severe autism from LD so had always assumed was under the severe LD bracket.
am not bothered in any form but just wish had known because have been using that label on self, have never really questioned what have been told by experts.

heres the assessment info and result forms.....though it was jan the twentyith had finaly ended up getting discharged on,they have also been edited by social services LD team to remove all personal information because this form is actualy being used to join a special olympics club swim team and the SS dont want super personal info on it.
am missing quite a few diagnoses to.
and have personaly edited the names and stuff out that do not want posted on here-
http://cdn.imghack.se/images/6a43bdf9cfa35096564d0b36869bc97a.jpg
first page of the assessment

http://cdn.imghack.se/images/38526d6a97ed0a88992108d26611f6c3.jpg
the diagnosis.


so,am now able to OFFICIALY call self intelectualy disabled or learning disabled;under the UK definition, am certainly not going to refer to self under the painfuly offensive mentaly retarded though, have got to much self respect for that.


thanks so much to L for bringing this form over today,will be great to finaly start competition swimming.

getting even closer to final swimming goal

managed yet another swimming goal yesterday,the final goal is to go to sandcastle waterpark in blackpool,its a lifelong wish.
went to a PUBLIC swimming pool to see if woud be able to manage coping with it, and did indeed manage.

firstly,we went to stretford leisure centre in manchester,they coudnt do more to accomodate self, they were so helpful.
they let the two support staff of mine in free without asking for company ID [unusual,for a business-they usualy think all disabled people only ever need one carer and charge for the second staff]they also were extremely helpful for mum and offered her as many floaty type things as she needed for free.

however,after self had got wetsuit on,and we went to see the swimming pools,we noticed they were all laned off and the shallow pool was completely taken up with kiddies lessons.
so they phoned through to urmston leisure centre and were told in half an hour all of their lessons were stopping and their pools woud be open swim so we went along and didnt have to pay as we paid at the other pool.
urmston were just as accomodating and they had a permenent hoist fitted over the pool which is good to know although had just thrown self out of the wheelchair and onto the floor and slid into the pool but the hoist is needed for getting out.

had an awesome time,so calming,we had the whole shallow pool to ourselves as everyone was just heading to the main pool.
despite being only the second time to have swum,am able to do the 'doggy paddle' now although only using arms and can do the back stroke but in an adapted way-and not a float in sight,mum just uses the body board now as it gives her more confidence,she is really phobic.

had worked out that once the person starts over thinking and stressing it knocks them off balance and makes them sink,so its about keeping breathing slow and staying calm.

am looking forward to when the school holidays finish as it means the kids will bugger off back to school and the pools will be free for us adults again,as am looking forward to checking out both the manchester aquatic centre [its laned off at evening/night and full of kids during the day during easter holidays]  and DEFINITELY sandcastle waterpark,it just so happens that the day the kids are back in school is the day am due in hospital to get three teeth out under a general anaesthetic and also to help train nursing staff on intelectual disability,shit happens.

heres some photos of self at urmston swimming baths;

a lifelong goal reached; swimming

on friday,the self, two support staff and mum went along to ivy bank swimming pool, a private swimming pool that can be rented out.
it has been life long wish to swim and go to waterparks but the very severe sensory issues that suffer from also affect ability to have water on skin.

had wore the wet suit and took body board along,and despite never having swum before had soon got the hang of it as its a matter of keeping calm to avoid sinking.
mum was severely phobic of water and had never swum before either beyond trying to take self and sister to a pool when was a toddler,so everyone encouraged her to go in and she really enjoyed it to.

played water volley ball with the staff for a while whilst mum huffed on her e-cig and just lay there drifting which was very calming and helped self to relax.

it was a awesome experience and am going swimming again on monday-with staff and mum,heres some photos.

reaching a major goal in life

one thing have been plagued by entire life is the extreme sensory issues have got with water.
in the past,had been physicaly forced into baths with shorts on and held in there and shouted to stay in-was in extreme pain from the water.

however,as the years have past,have developed tolerance for water in the lower limb areas as these have the least nerve endings.
have always wanted to go to waterparks/swimming baths and have been held back; not just because of the water issues but also the hearing issues as swimming baths have loud echoing.

greenways intelectual disability hospital had helped self get used to water on limbs using the foot spa and it gave a real taste for water.
so a plan had been set in motion....
upon being discharged from greenways had gone along to the IIIC disability expo in manchester and the disability services lady representing blackpools 'sandcastle' waterpark said the use of a wet suit woud be allowed under the circumstances of mine,yay.

last week,the plan became reality,had gone along to decathalon and bought a 'shortie' wet suit, had also found out theres a swimming pool that can be privately hired in manchester for twelve pound per person for an hour and have booked it,its a good intro into the world of swimming as an adult whose never swum; with severe autism.
have also got a body board to.

have been getting used to being in the water by going in the bath with the wet suit on-

really cant wait to go eventualy go to sandcastle waterpark.