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Pawud ”%km% Recem Overcoming her fear of water has given Grace Ibrahima a confidence she‘s never before known New lease on life he first time Grace Ibrahima I tried to jump into the deep end _ of â€" the Waterloo Recreation Swimplex pool, it felt like her feet were superâ€"glued to the floor. She couldn‘t move But after some gentle instrucâ€" tion from her teacher, the terrified mother of two soon found herself doing â€" something she never thought possible â€" swimming. "At first I wanted to put two safety belts on, just in case one of them failed," the Waterloo woman explained with a laugh. "But the teacher assured me everything would be OK." The teacher was right. After taking the plunge, literally, lbrahima soon realized that what goes down in water usually comes back up, and that jumping into the deep end was not suicide, but rather a rebirth of sorts. "I was afraid of the water for as long as 1 could remember," she explained. "And not just the depth of it, but water in general. Just looking at it, I would fee) as if it was taking on a personification that was so treacherous. "When we would go on holiâ€" days, 1 would sit as far away from the pool as 1 could in case the water came alive and dragged me in. Living with such an intense fear guaranteed one thing, Ibrahima would not allow her two sons, Halim and Isif, to suffer the same anxiety. "I always made sure to take my children swimming," she said. "I didn‘t want them to be afraid." But as her children grew, they found it difficult to understand why their mother placed so much fear on an activity that gave them so much pleasure. They decided to take matters into their own hands, and little did Ibrahima know that it would be her two boys that would help free her from her inner prison. "One day they brought me a book of passes to an Aquafit proâ€" gram at the Waterloo Recreation Complex." she said. "I told them I would not go, but they said I had to if I was ever going to get over my fear. By Anoparea Bamney _Chronicle Staff â€" _ "hafigin ie Once terrified of water, Grace lbrahima now takes regular aquafit classes at the Waterloo Recreation Swimplex. Swortk BatY moro "So finally 1 mustered up the courage, but I‘ll tell you I never left the edge of the pool, not for the first three or four classes. "And 1 tried to isolate myself from the others in the class because I couldn‘t stand the water splashing at me." Finally, after some kind encourâ€" agement from her instructor, [brahima realized she wouldn‘t drown and ventured a little farther into the shallow end. Once that program ended, her sons bought her another set of passes, hoping to continue the progress their mother had made. "Things were getting a little betâ€" ter by then," Ibrahima said. "I went out a little further, then a little more. I was like a toddler in a way, going a small distance, but making sure not to go too far away from mom." By the end of those lessons, the fear had diminished a great deal and Ibrahima could say she was at LIFESTYLE least comfortable in the water That is until the day her teacher asked what she considered the unthinkable. "‘OK, we‘re going into the deep end‘ was what the teacher told us," Ibrahima said. "All I could say was ‘what?‘ "It took the teacher many minâ€" utes to talk me into it. But low and behold, when I did it I came back up. After that 1 thought just maybe L could do this." The following week Ibrahima actually volunteered to be the first to jump into the deep end.Weeks after that she tried doing so withâ€" out a safety belt, and obviously lived to tell about it. "This has put a whole new lease on my life," she said. "For so long I was kept prisoner by my fears, but now I know there‘s nothing to fear and that 1 can do anything l put my mind to." This was not the first major obstacle lbrahima has overcome. Eight years ago, she spent time at the Homewood Health Centre in Guelph to baitle initial signs of alcohol addiction. "I used to be the most miserâ€" able person," she explained. "The sun was too hot, the snow was too cold, the rain was too wet, you name it. Nothing made me happy. "But spending time â€" there showed me I have a lot of reasons to be on this earth. I managed to get out of that ditch and go on. But Uhad to find a way to fill the void in my life that alcohol left. That‘s why 1 sing with my church choir, I volâ€" unteer at Homewood, and now 1 can swim tao." Always keeping her experience in mind, Ibrahima has made it a goal to enlighten others to the fact there‘s nothing to fear but fear itself. "Just this week I was doing my swimming when 1 overheard two ladies talking," Ibrahima said. "I heard one of the ladies ask the other if she was still a chicken. That got me curious so l went over to them and asked if they would mind telling me what they were talking about. It turned out the one lady was afraid of the water. "I took the opportunity to tell them about my fear, and that just the blue water and chlorine were enough to trigger my anxiety and really set me off. They asked me if I was only afraid of the deep end, and I pointed at the toddlers‘ pool and said ‘no, that one‘." She went on to explain, howevâ€" er, that it was the patience of the pool staff that helped her overâ€" come her fears. "They are so willing to help you with whatever you need," she said. "They will just wet your feet if that‘s what you want, or they will go into the pool with you." But above all else, she said, they helped her beat something which many find invincible. . s "If you live in isolation, that‘s where you‘ll always be," she said. "But I have managed to gain so much by overcoming my fear. My family sees their mom being well, and that alone makes them feel good. "But the most important thing is that 1 feel good about myself. 1 have a confidence I never knew before. "It‘s truly amazing. WATER 0% 1 '/O Ask for details Northfield at the Parkway 00 NORTH in Weteryoo Nselma House is asking he public to help fill its tub at the Cleo store in Conestoga Mall April 1â€"16 in support of abused women and their children in this community. All new personal care items such as blow dryers, towels, curling irons, hair accessories, diapers, nightâ€" wear, slippers, baby items, blankets and sheets will be accepted. For more information call Liz at Cleo at 884â€"4897 or Anselma House at 741â€" 9184. The YWCA _ Lincoln Tenants Association will host its annual spring craft and gift sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 7. There will be a good selection _ of handmade crafts and gift items, as well as some Easter chocolates. Thc New Canadian proâ€" gram will hold its annual open house and family reunion for participants, past _ participants _ and friends from 1â€"4 p.m. March 31. Anselma House seeks public‘s support New Canadian program to hold open house The program is dedicatâ€" ed to supporting newcomâ€" ers to the country by providâ€" ing four to eight weeks of workshops in job search skills with a potential work placement. The sale will take place at 155 Lincoln Rd. in Waterloo. This event will be a good opportunity to share sucâ€" cess stories and network with others who may share similar experiences, or who have connections in the working world. The open house will take place at 12 Dupont St. in Waterloo. For further inforâ€" mation, call 883â€"0216. Lincoln tenants host spring sale FINANCING 746â€"1666 to choose from