Challenge to swim 15 miles in June sounded crazy. I jumped in to help save lives (and met my goal!) | Suzy Leonard

As a journalist, I’m a creature of deadline.

I signed up to participate in the challenge to swim 15 miles in June for the American Red Cross, and of course I waited until the very last day to finish. I swam my final 50 laps on June 30.

As I said in an earlier column, this wasn’t an easy pursuit for me. I’m more of a floater than a swimmer. I had to relearn swim strokes from my lessons taken more than 50 years ago.

It took a while, but I found my zen zone, chanting my lap number with each stroke. I learned to appreciate the cheerful Red Cross swim cap that kept my hair out of my eyes and figured out how to position goggles just right so they wouldn’t leak.

Runners may be familiar with the Galloway Method for longer races, alternating running and walking until you reach the finish line. I developed a similar system for swimming.

I started with a few gentle underwater laps, feeling like a mermaid as I slid through the water, watching bubbles rise and enjoying the play of light and shadow in the depths of the pool.

Next, I quickened the pace with a few breast stroke laps, bursting out of the water to fill my lungs with air.

Then I moved on to what I like to call a hybrid underwater backstroke, arms flailing as the sky came in and out of focus above me.

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Finally came a few aggressive freestyle laps that left me breathless. I never mastered turning my head to breathe without choking or filling my ears with water.

I alternated these strokes over and over again until I reached 50, 75 or (once!) 100 laps per swim session.

Early in the challenge, I joined a friend on a calm day for an open-water swim in the Atlantic using my trusty Apple Watch to track distance. All was going fine as we completed a half mile, when my watch malfunctioned and tried to call emergency services. That was the end of my open-water swimming. Eventually, I need to figure out how to call 911 from my watch on purpose. It’s way to easy to do it accidentally.

After that scare, I stuck to my backyard pool. With my mish-mash of strokes and inability to breathe properly, I lacked the confidence to swim in public.

I learned a lot in June. I didn’t realize how much swimming, really swimming, would make me sweat. I learned to live with goggle suction cup marks under my eyes. I stayed hungry.

I didn’t lose weight (see above), but I feel stronger and sleeker. Water does that for you.

Regardless of the setbacks, I’m proud of this accomplishment. I’m also beyond grateful to all the wonderful people who donated. My goal was $250. Thanks to the generosity of former co-workers, local friends, friends from high school, friends from college, even my childhood babysitter, I raised more than $1,100.

If all of the 8,600 people participating in the 15-mile challenge met their $250 goal, the American Red Cross Centennial Campaign stands to gain more than $2 million.

That campaign already is saving lives with swim lessons and water safety training in areas of the country where drowning rates are well above average. Think of how many more lessons $2 million can fund!

I swam a lot in June, but thanks to those who gave, there will be a lot more swimming across the country. And that’s nothing to splash at.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a longtime journalist and retired editor and writer at FLORIDA TODAY. Reach her at suzy@321creates.com. She’ll respond if she’s not out swimming laps.

Note: I had an error in last week’s column. The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are housed in the Rotunda of the National Archive, not the Capitol. Thanks to those who caught that and let me know.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Challenge to swim 15 miles in June sounded crazy. I jumped in to help save lives (and met my goal!) | Suzy Leonard