06/09/2026
My dad is the reason I ever got in the water. Before sunrise at UNSW, seven years old, rain hail or shine.
All these years later the water still takes me straight back to him.
Which is probably why Sundays at the pool get me every time. Weekends seem to be Dad's time. They are the ones on the step with a two year old who does not want to put her face in. The ones quietly saying you've got this to a boy about to jump in for the first time. The ones in our baby classes, holding on, singing badly, absolutely committed.
And then later, standing at the side watching their kid move up a level, trying not to look too proud and failing.
That is the thing about our dads. They are the steady one. The encourager. The strength the rest of us lean on when it gets emotional, and with little ones in the water it always gets emotional eventually.
To every dad at In The Deep, we think you are wonderful. Thank you for the early mornings, the weekend swims, and for being there in the moments that count.
Happy Father's Day π©΅