“James, was I a good boy under water?!”

For the first time ever I went on holiday and did not get sunburnt.

This was quite an achievement for me as I arrived in the Mediterranean sun looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost and left looking rather like him too…

Factor fifty can act as a shield if you apply it with enough regularity.

As my skin did not resemble Serrano ham, I was able to spend a long time in the pool with Joe. Swimming has been a major passion of mine for as long as I can remember.

It is nice to spend time with Joe who shares the same passion as me. 

When I got a little tired and needed a rest I left Joe in the pool and took up residence on poolside with my hands behind my back analysing Joe’s technique.

The swimming perfectionist in me does not take a holiday.

It was wonderful to see Adam Peaty destroy all comers in the swimming World Championships while we were away. I cannot imagine his sense of pride when clutching the medal that symbolises his passion and the years of commitment required to reach the top.

Joe likes swimming as much as Adam Peaty. However the reality is that Joe probably will not appear in the ‘able-bodied’ swimming World Championships. 

The 2019 Special Olympics will take place in Abu Dhabi. A quick glance at the website for the Special Olympics fills me with a sense of pride in the human race. 

The following story typifies the importance sport can play in celebrating diversity and encouraging inclusion.

http://www.specialolympics.org/SimpleStories/SimpleStory.aspx?id=42527

All the swimming with Joe did remind me I am not as young as I was. Joe did not care about my aches “Come on James let’s go!”

Joe’s favourite thing to do was go under water and wave at me. He also enjoyed signing ‘pig’ and ‘donkey’ at me. 

Some things never change.