Shameful fact about me—I can’t swim. In fact, I’m pretty horrified of putting my face under water. When I was 14, I fell into a giant wave pool at a crowded water park and would’ve very likely died if a stranger hadn’t noticed and pulled me out. 

It’s been a lifelong desire of mine to conquer my fear of water and learn to swim, so last summer, I signed up for beginners level swimming lessons at my local YMCA. In the weeks leading up to the class, I had imagined myself doing cannon balls into the pool, snorkeling on white sand beaches and doing Olympics worthy dives from the diving board at the next pool party I graced with my presence. By the time the first class rolled around, I was super pumped but also very nervous.

That day, I excitedly showed up to class, put on my trunks and made my way to the pool. To my surprise, there were already 5 other students in the pool with the instructor. I asked a lady standing near the pool with a...