Surviving A Final Test

by Donna Swagerty Shreve

For one observing the thrashing in the U.O.P. pool, it would look as if the poor girl was needing rescuing from the huge football player that was partially supported by said girl. Her arms did not reach around his chest. Her long hair was loose and in her face. As she sunk once again under the weight, she came back up for air and with a shake of her head, a face free of hair. What a struggle. 

Bob stood at 6’6” with a heavy, solid body. He went on after college to play professional football on the defensive line in the NFL and he was my final test in my Water Safety Instructor class. The year was 1967 and I wanted a WSI certificate to be able to better teach swim lessons and coach a swim team. I was getting married at the end of the summer of 1967 and lifeguarding, swim lessons and coaching was going to put money in the bank for survival as a married couple.

The instructor of the class was a Physical Education major doing his graduate work. Don Odale had played basketball with my cousin Keith Swagerty. I was familiar to the team members as I never missed a basketball game and was an enthusiastic fan. Don was enjoying his position of authority and he set me up for my final test. 

For the final, the first thing the the participant had to demonstrate was proficiency in swimming free style for two laps. Then came two laps of back stroke, two laps of breast stroke and, of course, two laps of the butterfly. I also remember doing a distance swim to prove endurance. My last few laps of the distance swim looked a bit sloppy. The next step was to float for two minutes without using your hands or legs. I have heavy dense bones and am not a floater. My actual floating level is several inches below the water. The trick for me was to inflate my lungs and arch my back and keep my face just above the water so I could breathe. I did have some movement but not enough to disqualify me. 

The last test involved the hulking body of my victim. I was to use the chest hold where the rescuer wraps his/her arms around the victim’s chest. My arms could not reach all the way around his body. He was to be a dead weight and not help me as I carried him for 100 yards. I used a lot of leg kick and pushed up his body with the side of my hip. It could not have been a pleasant ride for him. He never knew when I would inadvertently dip beneath the water line. I heard him sputter a few times. When the four laps were done, I was then to secure him against the side of the pool and remove him from the pool onto the deck. I placed his hands on the deck and secured them with one of my hands on top of his. Then with my other hand, I pulled myself out of the pool. Once on the deck, I would dip him a bit to build up leverage and then try to pull him out of the pool. I missed a few times and ended up scraping him against the side of the pool and part of the deck. He had quite a thick fur coat on his chest. I hate to think of what I probably removed during the final stunt. After Don stopped laughing, he said I could stop torturing Bob and that I had completed the test successfully.

I was beyond exhausted and was not happy with my situation. Looking back, I realize Don was awkwardly flirting a bit but I was not amused. However, my training did come in handy that summer of 1967. I actually became the team’s swim coach at my pool where I was life guarding. The coach and manager had gotten into a big fight and the coach left. I was recruited. I also had to rescue a drowning swimmer. My life saving skills were fresh and I automatically went into action without hesitation. 

A few years later, I was now married and attending a U.O.P. football game with my husband and father. In the stands was my WSI victim. He had played football at Lincoln High School and U.O.P. I couldn’t help myself so I went up to him and asked if he remembered being my victim for the WSI final. He was a guy of few words and just nodded that he did. I retreated quickly back to my seat and was thankful I had actually survived that final.

807 words

4/15/2022