Blog guest: Ivan Lendjer

Ivan Lendjer, world junior and European champion and record holder on 50m and 100m butterfly, European Short Course Swimming Championship in Istanbul and Mediterranean Games in Italy and Turkey medallist, as well as a member of the Serbian Olympic Team in 2008 and 2012, is speaking as a #Blog guest for Swimming Dad about his fear of water and how he managed to overcome it.

Have you ever been afraid of water?

When I was around 3 or 4 I had a small accident at the seaside when my inflatable boat flipped upside down. I suffered a certain shock that made

become afraid of water.

How did you overcome it and how long did it take?

My uncle, who held himself responsible for my accident, as he was next to me when it happened, took me once to a nearby swimming pool when I was 6. I had a swimming instructor, who was working at a local water polo club, who gave me individual trainings. It took me a year or so to overcome my fear of

water and start swimming in a big pool.

What would be your message to those who are afraid of water?

I would like to direct my answer to parents, as children are usually those who are afraid of water, that they should never push them to swim but to take them to a swimming school and leave it to professionals. And as far as the adults are concerned, I would suggest that they go to a swimming pool, observe a training lesson, and then talk to the instructors how they could

overcome their fear and they should never be ashamed of that.