One Buoy at a Time: How Lupe Gallardo Learned to Swim at the Y

Unlike most triathletes, Lupe Gallardo did not learn to swim as a child. Water remained unfamiliar and scary. Like most triathletes, she had developed confidence through countless miles of running and cycling.

For most athletes, completing more than forty marathons, conquering twenty hundred-mile cycling events, and traveling internationally to compete in the Tokyo Marathon are remarkable accomplishments. When she decided to take on a Sprint Triathlon in Lake Zurich, Illinois, she felt prepared for the running and cycling portions of the race, but there was still one challenge she had yet to conquer: swimming. Becoming a swimmer required her to embrace something she had not experienced in years: being a beginner. And that's how Lupe began learning to swim in her fifties.

Determined to build her confidence in the water and swimming skills, Lupe initially sought instruction elsewhere. Despite her dedication and work ethic, she became discouraged when her swimming skills were not progressing in the way she had hoped. For someone accustomed to setting goals and achieving them through perseverance, the lack of progress was frustrating.

Everything changed when a friend recommended the Hastings Lake YMCA. Lupe enrolled in their YMCA's Adult Group Swim Lessons, where she found a welcoming environment and a supportive community. As her triathlon goal approached, she realized she would benefit from more individualized instruction and decided to enroll in private swim lessons.

What she found at the Hastings Lake YMCA was much more than swim instruction. From the front desk staff and lifeguards to fellow members, she felt surrounded by support every step of the way. She describes her experience at the Y as a "surround sound of encouragement." At the center of that experience was swim instructor Pam Soja, whose patience and encouraging coaching style helped develop both her skills and confidence in the water.

Pam consistently reminded her students that everyone can learn to swim, and that it's never too late to start. For Lupe — used to being the one who set the pace — that permission to be a beginner mattered. Through consistent practice and personalized instruction, she began to see herself not just as a runner or cyclist, but a swimmer too.

As race day approached, Pam shared a simple strategy that would become a turning point in Lupe's journey. Knowing that open-water swimming can feel intimidating, Pam encouraged Lupe to break the swim course into smaller, manageable sections. The Lake Zurich Sprint Triathlon course was marked by four buoys. Instead of focusing on the entire distance, Pam suggested Lupe focus only on reaching the next buoy.

One buoy at a time.

When race day arrived, swimming was the first event. As Lupe entered the lake, she immediately recognized that swimming in open water was very different from swimming in a pool. The environment was unfamiliar, but something else was different this time. She remembered Pam's advice. She focused on the first buoy. Then the second. Then the third. Then the fourth.

With each buoy reached, her confidence grew. She heard Pam's encouraging words in her mind and relied on the skills she'd built through months of practice. By the time she reached the beach, something had shifted. As Lupe describes it, she'd found a "believe and achieve" attitude — one that carried her through the rest of the race and across the finish line.

Looking back on her journey, Lupe is quick to credit the people who helped her along the way. She extends her heartfelt thanks to the Hastings Lake YMCA front desk staff, lifeguards, swim instructors, and everyone who supported her. She is especially grateful to Pam Soja for her patience, encouragement, and exceptional coaching skills.

Today, Lupe is training for the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon Sprint in Wisconsin this August. She still thinks about that morning on Lake Zurich sometimes — not the whole swim, just the buoys, one after another. She doesn't approach the water with apprehension anymore. She looks forward to it.

Lupe's goal happened to be physical. Yours might be something else entirely — but the instinct to freeze in front of something big, and the relief of tackling it one small piece at a time, isn't unique to swimming. If there's something you've been putting off, find your own front desk, your own Pam, your own next buoy. Join us at the YMCA of Metro Chicago.