If someone says you are too old to learn to swim, ignore them. Remind them of then 75-year-old Rosemary Caruana, the grandmother who knows you’re never too old to learn to swim. She thought she was unable to swim at all. More than that, she had a strong dislike for the water. But despite this, she found herself in her swimming costume at her local pool.

Caruana took her grandson swimming and was watching her grandson in the pool. She decided she needed lessons. So after her grandson’s lesson she approached the swimming teacher and asked whether or not she would be able to take some swimming lessons. The teacher told Rosemary that you’re never too old to learn to swim and said she’d be happy to teach her.

“I watched my youngest grandson swimming and thought, this is ridiculous...you’re 75-year-old, he’s swimming, you’re not-and you live on an island. So I asked his teacher if she would teach me and she said yes.”

Over the next 12 months, Caruana attended each session to build up her swimming ability. She had a goal, which was to swim a length of the pool. She did it. She still takes part in her swimming lessons each week, and now looks forward to each session rather than panicking as she had in the early months.

“Now, 12 months later, I absolutely love it. And I can now do four lengths of the main pool which is 25 meters, two on my front and two on my back. I do still need my wonderful instructor Sally beside me, though. I am not quite confident enough to go it alone.”

You are never too old to learn: inspired?

You are never too old to learn to swim, said Rosemary. If you are a grandmother inspired by Rosemary to learn to swim, then use our Poolfinder widget to track down your nearest pool below.