Abundantly Aiden!: Eat My Bubbles@@@@

Sinobia owns a sweat shirt that says,

"75% of the world is covered in water,
but I only need 1 lane to kick your butt!"

Well, on Thursday evening, Sinobia kicked some major butt. She completed the YWCA Flying Fish Swim Marathon, swimming 105 lengths in one hour!

This is Sinobia's 3rd year participating in the marathon, but this year was different. It was the most lengths she was ever challenged to complete (her coaches set her goal at 100 lengths). Last year her goal was 75 lengths. She got to about 50+ lengths when I had to literally pull her out of the pool, as she was having an asthma attack, but wanted to keep swimming. Her first year, her goal was 50 lengths, which she completed so she could get all the cool prizes.

This year, her swimming the marathon wasn't about the prizes, but more about swimming her personal best and meeting, if not exceeding her fund raising goal for a good cause.

(These funds help the YWCA continue to provide healthy aquatic programming, provide financial assistance to families who cannot afford the cost of swim lessons or swim team participation, and support YWCA services in the areas domestic violence and violence prevention.)

On Thursday morning, Sinobia met her fundraising goal of $500 before she even got in the pool so she then raised it to $700 . During the marathon, her asthma started bothering her somewhere around her 80th length. I kept checking in with her every time she came to my end of the pool, she wanted to keep going. So, with with her inhaler in my hand, I sat back and let her do her thing....105 lengths (and no inhaler required)!

What makes this even more amazing for me, as a mother, is that I clearly remember Sinobia when she didn't know how to swim, but wanted to be a better swimmer than her sister (who was a pretty good swimmer before she gave her life to the circus). Session after session, I would sign her up for swim lessons. She would just sit on the side of the pool, crying, with her floaty on, refusing to get in the water, terrified. One day, she just got in, started blowing bubbles and took off swimming (it wasn't that easy, but you get my point). Now, in my opinion, she's an awesome swimmer!

There is still time to sponsor Sinobia and her Swim Marathon cause (you have until the end of February). The YWCA has made it so easy this year, they set up web pages for each kid, so you can click on the link below, it will take you straight to Sinobia's web page, where you can make a donation (and/or see her cute picture).

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support YWCA - Evanston/North Shore

Thank you to everyone who has helped her meet (and possibly exceed) her goal!