Aquatic Arakaki
Drawn to water since childhood, one Member builds skills to venture farther into the open sea.
When Member Michiko Arakaki first jumped into the Sky Pool, she felt that she couldn’t swim. Despite growing up in Okinawa with a love for the ocean, becoming adept in the water was something she had never gotten around to.
“I could only swim about 100 meters,” she admits.
Determined to change that, Arakaki eagerly joined instructor Marcin Nowakowski’s intermediate stroke development class after joining the Club in February 2021. An avid diver and snorkeler, her goal was to become more comfortable in open water.
“Marcin watches us so well and gives great tips,” she says. “I try to apply whatever he tells me, and I can always feel the difference. It’s instant improvement.”
When the Club introduced the Sky Pool Pass in January 2023, she began building on that progress. The all-inclusive pass allows Members unlimited access to all adult pool programs for a single price. Arakaki added classes like distance swim development and can now be found in the pool five days a week.
In addition to Nowakowski, she thanks coaches Bruno and Miguel Ortiz-Cañavate, brothers who represented Spain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, for helping her build strength and endurance. She takes part in their twice-weekly technique development classes.
Today, she regularly swims 1.6 to 2 kilometers during a lesson.
“I’m amazed at myself. To think that I now swim the same distance as from one end to the other of Kokusai Street in my hometown of Naha City,” she says, referring to the lively stretch in Okinawa also known as “The Miracle Mile.”
Another thing that keeps drawing her to the Sky Pool is the camaraderie with fellow swimmers. They encourage each other in the water and regularly meet outside or celebrate special occasions in Traders’ Bar. Some even went back in time together at last month’s ’80s-themed First Friday event.
Arakaki also appreciates how swimming has helped her achieve another elusive goal.
“For decades, I had wanted to be a morning person, but I could never make it happen,” she reveals. “When I started morning lessons, I had to wake up early to make it there by 7am. At first, I wondered if I could really do it. But once I committed, I just had to.” Now, not only is she an early bird, she feels more productive. “After swimming lessons in the morning, I have a clear mind.”
Arakaki says she has a long way to go until she can swim freely for longer distances in the ocean, the reason she first started classes two and a half years ago. “But I will keep practicing,” she adds. “It’s such a joy to be able to do something you were not able to do yesterday, or a year or two ago. For that, I am so grateful to my coaches for their constant support and motivation, and I thank my swim mates who inspire me a lot.”
Visit the Aquatics page of the Club website to learn about the Sky Pool Pass and its lineup of adult swim programs on offer.
Words: C Bryan Jones
Image of Michiko Arakaki: Kayo Yamawaki
August 2024
