A Long History of Swimming

As long as there has been humans and water, there has been swimming. It is thought that most early humans only swam to get to the other side of the river, and it wasn’t really enjoyed as sport or recreation, however there are many archeologists who would argue that assumption. There are cave drawings and rock paintings of swimming that go back 10,000 years. Egypt, Babylonia, India, Crete, Assyria, and Teotihuacan all depict swimming on their clay tablets, or on their walls. The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Bible, and other early written scrolls refer to swimming. People seem to have enjoyed the activity for a very long time.

Keeping people safe around water is not a new concept. In 1539, Nikolaus Wynmann (Germany) wrote the first book on swimming, focusing on the prevention of drowning, and learning breaststroke. It seems that others during that century began focusing on swimming technique and safety. Even the Emperor of Japan, in 1603, declared all school children should learn to swim. Swimming continued to evolve as a sport for the next 200 years.

Swimming became a competitive sport in the 1800s. Britain opened the first public pools, developed the first swimming organizations, and held the first modern competitions. By 1837, swimming competitions were held regularly. The first world competition for women was held in 1892 in Scotland. The Olympic games added swimming in 1892 (for men) and 1912 (for women).

Rita Goldberg, is a part of that Olympic History and Heritage as an Olympic swimmer for England at the age of 14. When her Olympic career ended, she opened The British Swim School in Manchester, England in 1981 and brought it to the United States in 1994 where it has grown into 3 countries and 21 states. Her scientific approach to lessons is responsible for teaching thousands of children and adults to be safe and happy in the water and for developing our next generation of swimmers.

So, next time you come to your lesson…remember you are taking part in 10,000 years of history and development. Keep swimming!

To enroll in our premier water safety and swimming program call British Swim School East Valley at (480) 900-6188 to find the right class for you or your child, or enroll online. Classes are available to those located in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Santan Valley and Queen Creek.