Treading Water
When I was a young adult I trained at almost every opportunity offered to me, so when Oberlin College in Ohio advertised Lifeguard Training I signed up. I enjoy the water, I am often in the water, I am quite safety conscious, and I am willing to assist others if possible, so I took the course. I did not plan to be a lifeguard, I just wanted the training.
In the year 2025, this is the Oberlin lifeguard training course description: 0.5 credits
The purpose of the American Red Cross Lifeguarding course is to provide entry-level lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services (EMS) personnel take over. To qualify: 1. Swim 300 yards continuously demonstrating breath control and rhythmic breathing. Candidates may swim using the front crawl (freestyle), breastroke (sic) or a combination of both, but swimming on the back or side is not allowed. Swim goggles may be used. 2. Tread water for 2 minutes using only the legs. 3. Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds: Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. The face may be in or out of the water. Swim goggles are not allowed. Surface dive, feet first or head first, to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object. Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point with both hands holding the object and keeping the face at or near the surface so you are able to get a breath. Candidates should not swim the distance under water. Exit the water without using a ladder or steps." (emphasis added)
I am happy to say that I passed the lifeguard training, despite three complaints against me by the several young, fit, macho men who were taking the course with me. Their first complaint was because I walked into the natatorium to train and take the course (this was in the early 1970s.) I did not hear exactly what they said as they clustered around the male instructor, but their body language was loud and clear, we do not want her here." When I was a young woman, it seemed that when men train and test for something macho, having a woman in it can spoiled the vibe for them. However, this time the confident male instructor waved off their complaints and began the class. I stayed to the back, did not ask a lot of questions, and tried to blend in. Grudgingly, the men focused on their own training and did not seem to notice that I was keeping up with them.
Then we had the water treading exam, although I remember it as a 5 minute test, and I think that the standard has been eased to 2 minutes for the year 2025. At any rate, the water treading exam was delightfully easy for me as my woman's body is basically a bobber, a cork, it floats. And, I am REALLY comfortable in the water. So, I did not pretend to tread water but I just rested with my body floating, my face serenely above water, gently bobbing up and down in the wake of the treading men who were furiously churning water. Their faces were soon red and then angry. They gasped and called out to the instructor that it was not fair for me float through the exam simply because I did not need to tread water. But for a second time the instructor waved off their complaints. It took a little effort not to laugh openly, but I managed.
The final test that we took in our 1970s lifesaving course, was also not in the 2025 description, a real-life (simulated) rescue. Now the male instructor was the largest man in the group, a good 220 pounds, but the other five men were almost as big, and for the first time in the class I was worried because I knew that it would be impossible for me to "rescue" such huge men. But I listened as the instructor explained what we would be doing in our rescues and I began to understand how I would handle the situation, expecially when the instructor explained that we should never try to perform a rescue that is beyond our skill level because if we cannot control the victim who is drowning in water then they are likely to grab onto us and pull us under the water with them in their desperation to get to the surface for air. If we find ourselves in that situation he said that we are to dislodge the struggling victim from us by any means possible. My plan was to not get close to anyone large enough to pull me under water. My ideal rescuee was probably a seven year old child whom I could scoop up in my arms and swim us both to safety. The instructor paired up the class and naturally he had me and my partner go last so I realized that everyone would be watching. My 6' 2", 200 lb "victim" jumped into the deep end and floundered vigorously. I jumped in after him but swam directly away from him while I planned how to talk him through to saving himself, but he swiftly, powerfully crawled after me and caught me. Instead of dunking me as I anticipated, he flipped over into my arms in perfect position for me to tow him to shore, so I started towing. He was very heavy, sinking, then he started rolling back and forth, then he started wiggling around, and just as he turned around to grab me and make his point that I could not rescue him, I said in a voice loud enough for all to hear, "STOP, do not grab me, if you are quiet I will try to help you, but if you grab me again I will beat your face bloody, starting with your eyes." The men in the class were shocked and appalled and they turned to the instructor to see him reprimand me for...for bad behavior I guess. Instead the instructor said that I had handled it just right, that if someone will not or cannot cooperate in being rescued then you must disengage from them in any way that you can as there is no benefit in two people drowning. As I said before, I passed the course.
I Floated Through My Lifesaving Water Treading Exam
Annmarie Throckmorton, copyright 2025
Oberlin College natatorium, non-commercial use 03-06-25
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