For almost a year now 3 times a week a wake up at dawn and drive out to a lake behind the Alexandria Nozha airport to rowing practice.

Mind you I do this for fun no races just me the lake and my hollering coach!

Anyways for the first few months every time I would hit the water I would freak out that I the boat would capsize and I would be humiliated because I was already incredibly insecure.

The only 25 year old there with an average age of 17 I worked really hard to earn the other rowers look of respect on the waters.

Just last week one of the Egyptian rowing champs (Number 2 in Egypt) talked to me for the first time in a year she said A7san Skeev !!!

Translation Go girl in the skeev boat ( I have no idea the English name of a skeev but all I know that it’s a light weight version of the traditional canoe to help you hone your balancing and rowing technique) I swelled with pride when she said that I couldn’t believe how far I’d come, wow!
Never thought it would happen at this point though…..

But aaah God has a way of reminding us we are not invincible this morning at exactly 7 am rowing away in the middle of the lake right outside the rowing lanes BOOM one of my oars hit the 200m metal mark (my fault of course because I was concentrating on the actual rowing and totally neglected being aware of my surroundings) I lost my balance and the unexpected happened my boat turned over *SPLASH* (I hope you’re all enjoying the cinematic effects ? ).

OK now what big lake, my coach is somewhere 3 km away from me on his motor boat and the only one close enough is a double canoe that of course I can’t get in because I would turn it over.

My boat wasn’t an option either because it’s quite impossible to get back in from the water.

The rowers in the double canoe, God bless them went to get help..

Abandoned in the middle of the freezing lake my feet touching something yucky.

A light bulb went off near my head (proverbial light bulb not a real bulb electrocuting me to death!) I fell in the lake, I fell off my boat, and I fell just when I had started becoming comfortable and pseudo professional like rower.

I fell.

I’m fine.

One of my worst fears had come true.

Again fine, wet and grossed out but nevertheless quite fine.

Even when I came out of the lake half expecting the other kids to look at me with pity or disdain.

I saw something else in their eyes.

Fear….

Their own fear, these kids who’ve been rowing for years and have been in numerous races were afraid of the same thing I was; falling.

Speed bumps teach you to slow down and appreciate your surroundings since I was starting to get bored with rowing and felt like it wasn’t challenging enough for me.

I got my speed bump.

So I promise myself I will not take rowing for granted anymore.

And thank my lucky stars I have such an interesting activity in my life.

As an after thought I was telling my friend this morning I fell so she laughingly told me I fell because I was “single” since everyone seems to think that’s the reason for every girls problem ….oh and the ozone is depleting because I’m single too hehe.