Sink or Swim: My Bert Lozada Swim School Review

Bert Lazada Swim School 

My personal thoughts on swimming and experience during my first Bert Lozada swimming lesson

Had a pleasure meeting the CEO of Bert Lozada Swim School- Angelo Lozada. 

The struggle is real! I love being in the water. I love the sea, ocean and places that I could dip myself in. Ironically, with my love of water comes my lack of confidence on my swimming skills. Yes, I did took several swimming lessons when I was a kid and during my teens but these programs never instill the skills that I need to make me feel confident when I swim. All I know is how to make “sisid” (go underwater) and waddle like a dog while struggling to breathe. 

In other words, having a poor swimming ability limits me with the fun I like to have in water. There is always fear in me such as- What if I ran out of breath? What if I don’t have the stamina to swim to where I wanna go? What if I am cramping? What if I could not reach the pool gutter? And so and so forth. These negative thoughts and lack of swimming skills dampen the fun out of my swimming, and it could COST ME MY LIFE! Now I realized that SWIMMING indeed IS A LIFE SKILL! 

Me in a private villa in Bali. Getting ready for a dip at the beautiful swimming pool.

Just 2 weeks ago during my trip to Bali Indonesia, I almost drown on a very lovely infinity pool by the forest..what a nice way to perish I say in my head. BUT DEAR GOD it scared the shit out of me! 

I was alone in a secluded area and though the pool is not that big and its only 6-feet deep, I ran out of breath and panicked a bit. I managed to hold my head above the water and hoping to spot anyone- I need help; but I am aware that I am all alone. With all my might, I tried calming myself, assess my distance from the pool gutter and muster the strength to carefully navigate in that direction. Whew! I was so nervous, and my heart was pounding almost outside my chest. It is a very scary experience that I will never wish to happen again and that’s when I realize that learning how to swim properly should be a major consideration and there’s no ifs nor buts this time!

Bert and me on the water.  Last Thursday was a very memorable day for me since I get to experience the various programs of Bert Lazada Swim School in Ace Water Spa in Pasig. I was so lucky to be part of the Mom & Child Swim Date event which was intended for mommy bloggers to immerse in the Bert Lozada experience. Since it’s a mommy/child thing I brought my youngest baby Mac who is 12 years old. He got to experience a lesson from BLSS tailored made for their age bracket.

The first order of event is to create groups according to age and have an assigned instructor to handle each age group. Then the swim coaches facilitated warm-up exercises to physically acclimatize the muscles and the body for the swim which will eventually prevent cramping and muscle fatigue.

I first joined the My Baby and Me Program. This is designed for 6-month-old to 3 year old babies together with their moms. I was so happy to have baby Chuchai with me, thanks to mommy Nhessie for entrusting her cute daughter. 

Me and baby Chuchai

The Bert Lozada Baby and Me program is being handled by an expert coach, a mommy herself Pepper Lozada. She first taught us how to properly handle our baby- from the poolside down to the water. Then we were instructed to encourage our babies to enjoy the water, making them and us aware of the presence and the power of water. 

We were singing nursery rhymes while our babies were happily exploring the water using their innate motor skills. We also played games that helped our babies exercise mind and body coordination while enjoying being in the pool. 

Such a great way to teach babies how to swim naturally in such a fun and engaging manner. Two thumbs up for this experience. Not even a single baby cried or felt uncomfortable in the pool. Kudos to mam Pepper-yehey!

That's my boy Mac, enjoying his swimming lessons for his age group.

My young man Mac had his own class and truly enjoyed every minute of it while I myself were being coached by Ms. Joan. I took part of the BLSS Adult Program and learned valuable skills the moment I get acquainted with Coach Joan. It was a eureka moment for me- all the while I thought I knew the proper way to breathe when swimming and I was very wrong. 

For adults, we were thought how to breathe correctly through blowing exercises. After that, my coach personally assessed my swimming skills- my form and how my body connects onto the water. Coach Joan asked me to do short lapses with the correct breathing technique and I felt perfectly fine swimming in my own style without hesitation. 

Coach Joan and me

The first session I had at Bert Lozada Swim School is very valuable and a life changing experience. I don’t want to sound like a marketing person for BLSS but in just one session I learned the most important things about swimming. Just imagine how it will be, after completing the adult swim program. Praises to Coach Joan for her effective means of teaching and her patience. Kudos to BERT LOZADA SWIM SCHOOL and looking forward in continuing the entire adult’s program. 

Thank you to Speedo, Toy Kingdom, Ace Water Spa and Bert Lozada Swim School for making Mom & Child Swim Date event possible and truly awesome. I am grateful I was part of this event and I feel truly BLeSSed! I’ve got #PowerInTheWater right now and will surely build my swimming confidence.

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