Catherine Joy White

I was bouncing in my car seat with this untameable excitement, and it felt like freedom. So we pulled up in the car park, and I made my way to this leisure center, taking in its bright lights and these loud voices and this sharp tang of chlorine. And it's a leisure center, right, in rural East Midlands. But to me, it felt like Disneyland.

I was bouncing in my car seat with this untameable excitement, and it felt like freedom. So we pulled up in the car park, and I made my way to this leisure center, taking in its bright lights and these loud voices and this sharp tang of chlorine. And it's a leisure center, right, in rural East Midlands. But to me, it felt like Disneyland.

I was bouncing in my car seat with this untameable excitement, and it felt like freedom. So we pulled up in the car park, and I made my way to this leisure center, taking in its bright lights and these loud voices and this sharp tang of chlorine. And it's a leisure center, right, in rural East Midlands. But to me, it felt like Disneyland.

And I kind of got in there, and I got changed in the cubicle, and I made my way to the edge of the pool, taking extra care to walk, not run, even though every single part of me, I didn't just want to run, I wanted to fly. And when I got in that water for the first time, that's exactly what it felt like. And I swam whenever and wherever I could.

And I kind of got in there, and I got changed in the cubicle, and I made my way to the edge of the pool, taking extra care to walk, not run, even though every single part of me, I didn't just want to run, I wanted to fly. And when I got in that water for the first time, that's exactly what it felt like. And I swam whenever and wherever I could.

And I kind of got in there, and I got changed in the cubicle, and I made my way to the edge of the pool, taking extra care to walk, not run, even though every single part of me, I didn't just want to run, I wanted to fly. And when I got in that water for the first time, that's exactly what it felt like. And I swam whenever and wherever I could.

Lakes, the swimming lessons, I learned to snorkel, and then later to scuba dive, because that wasn't enough. I just loved it. But then fast forward 10 years and that childhood jubilation has become locked in a prison of my teenage body. So puberty is happening and the thought of stripping down, much like the Jamaican booty shorts, in a swimsuit every week was a form of fresh hell.

Lakes, the swimming lessons, I learned to snorkel, and then later to scuba dive, because that wasn't enough. I just loved it. But then fast forward 10 years and that childhood jubilation has become locked in a prison of my teenage body. So puberty is happening and the thought of stripping down, much like the Jamaican booty shorts, in a swimsuit every week was a form of fresh hell.

Lakes, the swimming lessons, I learned to snorkel, and then later to scuba dive, because that wasn't enough. I just loved it. But then fast forward 10 years and that childhood jubilation has become locked in a prison of my teenage body. So puberty is happening and the thought of stripping down, much like the Jamaican booty shorts, in a swimsuit every week was a form of fresh hell.

And it wasn't just these changes to my body, but I also relaxed my hair at that time to make it really straight because that was the cool thing to do. And of course, relaxer is destroyed the moment water goes anywhere near it. But if I didn't relax my hair, then not only would I be ridiculed at school, but my swimming cap wouldn't fit over my afro.

And it wasn't just these changes to my body, but I also relaxed my hair at that time to make it really straight because that was the cool thing to do. And of course, relaxer is destroyed the moment water goes anywhere near it. But if I didn't relax my hair, then not only would I be ridiculed at school, but my swimming cap wouldn't fit over my afro.

And it wasn't just these changes to my body, but I also relaxed my hair at that time to make it really straight because that was the cool thing to do. And of course, relaxer is destroyed the moment water goes anywhere near it. But if I didn't relax my hair, then not only would I be ridiculed at school, but my swimming cap wouldn't fit over my afro.

So I was sort of in a lose-lose situation and I became really disillusioned and miserable with it all. I looked around and I thought, there's no one here who looks like me. I don't fit here. So I stopped. Swimming's not for me. In January 2020, just as the earliest strains of coronavirus were being reported at the bottom of our weekly news cycle, I unexpectedly lost my uncle Delroy.

So I was sort of in a lose-lose situation and I became really disillusioned and miserable with it all. I looked around and I thought, there's no one here who looks like me. I don't fit here. So I stopped. Swimming's not for me. In January 2020, just as the earliest strains of coronavirus were being reported at the bottom of our weekly news cycle, I unexpectedly lost my uncle Delroy.

So I was sort of in a lose-lose situation and I became really disillusioned and miserable with it all. I looked around and I thought, there's no one here who looks like me. I don't fit here. So I stopped. Swimming's not for me. In January 2020, just as the earliest strains of coronavirus were being reported at the bottom of our weekly news cycle, I unexpectedly lost my uncle Delroy.

And it was so unexpected that when I got that news, all I could say was, What? Because we'd just been together at Christmas, which was 10 days earlier, and we'd had the annual Christmas quiz, and he'd been quiz master, and we'd had this big argument about Stormzy, of all things. And he kind of helmed our family since we'd lost our grandfather.

And it was so unexpected that when I got that news, all I could say was, What? Because we'd just been together at Christmas, which was 10 days earlier, and we'd had the annual Christmas quiz, and he'd been quiz master, and we'd had this big argument about Stormzy, of all things. And he kind of helmed our family since we'd lost our grandfather.

And it was so unexpected that when I got that news, all I could say was, What? Because we'd just been together at Christmas, which was 10 days earlier, and we'd had the annual Christmas quiz, and he'd been quiz master, and we'd had this big argument about Stormzy, of all things. And he kind of helmed our family since we'd lost our grandfather.

So it just made no sense to me that he was no longer there. And I fell apart. I think my family fell apart. And then weeks later, we're in a global pandemic. The world fell apart. And I developed this sort of thing that was just pushing down on my chest. And at every moment, I felt like I was looking behind, looking over my shoulder, just waiting for this next bad thing to happen.

So it just made no sense to me that he was no longer there. And I fell apart. I think my family fell apart. And then weeks later, we're in a global pandemic. The world fell apart. And I developed this sort of thing that was just pushing down on my chest. And at every moment, I felt like I was looking behind, looking over my shoulder, just waiting for this next bad thing to happen.