It’s the best part of four years that Pádraig was in the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) the last time. It’s a pool where serious swimmers spend a lot of their time, either training or competing. It’s where he became a champion. It’s where we spent lots of weekends on time keeping, watching, shouting, sweating, and really really hoping Pádraig and his sisters would get a new personal best, a PB.

One of Pádraig’s sisters has been playing water polo for a while and today we went to see her team playing. I didn’t quite know what to expect and how it would feel for us all to be back there with Pádraig.

And you know what? He really liked it. It was a bit hot up in the viewing area (always has been;), perfect on an otherwise miserable, windy and wet Sunday afternoon.

The most amazing thing is that he is back in pool once a week and really enjoying it.

What is hard to believe is that this is possible only and exclusively because of the hep of his ‘old’ coaches (and a bit of our own efforts). That this is not something that was offered to him as part of his rehab…