Interview with a father. The eight-year-old daughter asks her dad about his swimming-hobby.

How old were you when you learned to swim? I was about the same age as you when you learned to swim. Once my dad was with me in the outdoor-swimming-pool, I think I was four years old, and I fell into the deep pool. If a friend of my dad did not get me out right away, I would have come under water.

Would you be dead then? No, your dad can swim and nothing is going to hurt me. You know this. But my dad said it was time to learn how to swim. He immediately put me in a swimming club.

Were you good at swimming? Let's say it so. I was almost in training, and I always participated in the competitions. There was a friend in my swimming-club, and I always used to swim in the competitions. Sometimes I've become club champion. Sometimes he became the winner. At these days we were 10 or 11 years old.

What was the name of the friend? His name was Mike.

Cool. And further? If we were to the big competitions, e.g. in Hamburg or in Kiel, we did not really know where we were. The swimming-pools were so big. There were so many other kids and adults swimming around to compete. In the evening we drove home again, and we had experienced so much great things that I could not fall asleep most of the time.

Did you then win many medals? Oh well. Some. Afterwards, as I got older, I was more serious about it. And I realized that I was getting faster and better. I also got bigger and stronger. Look at your feet and hands. You will definitely be as tall as me ...... in a couple of years.

...... .yeah, then I’ll spit mom on the head .... Right. But you realize yourself that you now bump each other with your arms, hands and legs because you are growing. Bumping with your elbows, etc. In the ballet, your trainer is now more careful that you exercise your basic-positions elegant. At that time, as a teenager, I still played handball as well, and I was constantly oversteping. In the circle or in the 7 -m penalty-throw, or in athletics, the long-jumps. My handball-coach always said that he will cut off my fins-feet. He knew that I could swim quite well.

What about Kirsche? (note: Nickname, Cherry) My sister Kirsche was really good and fast in swimming. When she was a teenager, she went to a sports-boarding-school for swimmers. There she had swim-training twice a day. Once before school, and once after school. And there were swimmers or other athletes everywhere. At the weekends she was at our home. With grandma, grandpa and me. Or there were competitions on the weekends, where we went to. When she was 17 - 18 years old, she canceled swimming and did something different.

I won’t do it. And then she got kids? My three cousins?! Not quite yet. It took a while. First of all, she had to meet the man with whom she has the three cousins.

And you were heading to Hawaii for a triathlon? Uhhm, not quite. It took me a few more years. At that time, when I was 16 years old, I heard about the new sport: Triathlon. Sweetheart, that was in 1982. There were no smartphones or computers, and we had to turn off the light in the kitchen by hand. At that time, three friends and I were at a field-handball-tournament. You know, something we had seen on vacation in Cuxhaven. Playing handball outside on the pitch and camping in the evening and flirting with the girls ......

...... waahhh, that's stupid ....... Well. You're right. This is stupid. We heard on the radio that in Hawaii, Germans had participated in an Ironman-triathlon and were also quite good. We were just fascinated, and could not imagine that a human being could do such a thing. And the two Germans who were quite good at that time were our heroes and role-models. I still remember how Frank and Michael had taped the word: "IRONMAN" with Tesa-film on the back and on the stomach and got a sunburn. After they removed the Tesa-film, they had the word: "IRONMAN" on their bodies for two weeks. We have always shrunk with laughter. At the Swimming-training and so on.

Dad, that's not cool. And further? Almost a year later, Michael, Frank, Reinhard and I started a triathlon in southern Germany (note: 1983 in Koblenz, Am Deutschen Eck). That was the second triathlon in Germany ever. There was no triathlon before (Note: Except 1982 in Essen). Due to our age, we were still teenagers, we were only allowed to start over the short distance. The big route was done by the adults. The two heroes of Hawaii were also there.

Do you have an autograph of those? No no, we did not know what they really looked like. And there was so much going on. All I know is that the day before we were in the outdoor-swimming-pool in Koblenz, where we met two nice sweet French-girls .......

Dad, stop it! OK. At that time, there were no rules for triathlon. You were allowed to ride any bike you wanted. You could cycle in a group, all together. Today it’s forbidden. There were no helmets. No wetsuits. I took my Running-shoes for the cycling, etc. The order: swimming, cycling and finally running was like todays order. I finished the race as overall-seventh. Even then I was good at swimming and left the transition-area after the swim-part as the first athlete. But just before Koblenz, shortly before the second transition-area, all cyclists came as the bunch from behind.

Hey, that's unfair. Exactly. Shortly thereafter, there was the drafting-ban. But at that moment I had to be careful not to fall. A chaos.

Has something happened? No. That had surprised me myself. Because, together we all cycled into a schoolyard, where many bike-stands awaited us. Such as in front of the supermarket, you know? At that time I had decided completely from the guts. As I always tell you when you have to make a decision. Listen to your guts and your feelings. Go and see what the situation will brings you.

Already clear, checked. How did that continue? I already had worn my running-gear, despite the others. The others searched in the chaos for their running-shoes and the bags with the running-pants, etc. They all had worn cycling-shoes and cycling-shorts etc. They all looked for a stand for the bike. I simply threw my bike in the corner and started running. That's why I was right up in the front. The six people in front of me had previously escaped from the cycling-bunch. Just as you have seen in TV, like the professional-cyclists handle it. I could get to them while running, but I could not catch them. Dad was still to weak.

Exactly, flabby daddy. ... and the bike? Everything was fine with that. That was still where I had thrown it. I drove around on it for a few more years.

Where is it now? Oh sweetie, I do not know. I sold that to a friend back then. But I do not remember her name again.

And then you went to Hawaii? Mmm, no, that took a few more years. I had to finish school. And then every male in Germany had to become a soldier. After that I learned a profession.

Exactly, plumber. Right. But when I started studying at the University, I decided to try the triathlon and to compete in Hawaii. Daughter: It's important to learn something in your life!

Yes, yes daddy, that's it. You are right. Always do what you want and what makes you happy.

Do I have to study too? Oh, sweetie. You are in second grade. We talk about it in 6-7 years, okay?

I do not want to study. I'll work what Mami works. But sweetie, mom is a master and also went to school for a long time. Then you have to continue to take care in school. But you can draw as well as Momi and you like art, I think you will make it. Ask me more and other questions.

How many times have you been in Hawaii and where have you been everywhere? I had finished five times in Hawaii. That's what you say when you go through the competition. Into the goal. A Finisher. There are many who do not succeed. It's hot in Hawaii, very heavy wind that usually comes from ahead. But there were Ironman-races that were even harder for me. Lanzarote is also extremely tough. As you drive in even stronger wind once around the island.

Is that where Julian was on vacation? Not quite. Julian and his parents were in Mallorca.

Where was it still hard at the triathlon? In South Africa the mountains are very mean. In England there was always bad weather with rain and in Florida I almost fell asleep from the bike because it is as flat as in Holland. You have seen on vacation how flat Holland is. Also, this Ironman race was exactly three weeks after the Hawaii-Ironman, and I realized I could not make it.

What do you mean? Two Ironman-races within a month do not work for me. My buddy Michael made it and became an age-group-winner. Another lesson in life: What works for one man does not work for you.

Got it, dad. How did you meet mom? That was exactly 10 years ago. I finished the triathlon. I moved and started a new job.

Which do you do today? No. That came later.

Continue? Then just before Christmas I went with Kristin to a Christmas-dance, the wife of Sven, whom you both know. Sven did not feel like it, and Kristin did not want to go there alone. I accompanied Kristin, so she was not alone. Correct in a suit and tie, and Kristin in evening-wear and make-up and jewelry, and then Mom came across my way. I did not know her at that time. Mom is a friend of Kristin, too. And yes, then things took their course. You are now 8 ½ years old. There you go.

I saw the photos. That's enough for me. Then you started to swim? So similar. I have been doing sports my whole life. You cannot stop from one day to another. Then, add my injuries from the time back to that.

What kind of injuries? Well, my legs are used up. Because of the struggeling and running. The Achilles-tendons, I told you once. My back hurts all the time, and sometimes it still does it to me today.

Exactly. You had a lumbago once. Amongst other things. But you are right. The pains are from my constant and hard training. The thing that was still good was swimming. I always liked to be in the water, and at the triathlon I swam to recover. As a young guy who was not married, I was able to train a lot. I had fun.

And suddenly Mom and I were present. Exactly, my sweetie. Although I was at home for the first year of your life, and Mom went to work, I did not have time for training. A mini-dwarf does not allow time for proper training. Apart from this you are a great parent-entry-level model.

Hey, nasty dad. No seriously. I could not start again until you were out of the woods. And since I often went to the swimming-pool with you, I came in contact with the swimming-clubs and the swimming-masters again. Then I asked Werner, whom I knew from earlier and is now a coach in the swimming club, if I am allowed to practice with him. Twice, three times a week.

The one who has me on the arm in a photo? Exactly, in the photo you are almost three years old.

Daddy, in the hallway, there is also the picture of Erwin ...... Oh yeah. My old sports-buddy Erwin. Unfortunately he died.

I know. He had cancer. Were you very sad when he died? Oh yeah. Very. I had met Erwin during a winter-run in Mölln. I was about 20 years old. He also. There was a time when we were together in so many competitions and from time to time we trained together. He was married early and had a son.

Do you know them? Yes. And both were sad when Erwin died. But, you know what? Erwin was crazy, too, and would swim with me today. He would fully support my ideas and plans. Do you know what he did once? A long time ago?

No. Tell me. He flew to the Great Wall and runned there for about 25 km on the Great Wall. He had a lot of Chinese-fans.

I know the Great Wall. From Ninjago. Loyd the Golden Samurai, sometimes the Green Samurai, depending on what he wears, fights against the snakes. And Grandmaster Wuh helps him. Shall I tell you? Maybe later. Should I continue to tell?

OK. But afterwards I tell you about Ninjago. Daddy? One question: Why are you still doing this? Also with the ice-water-swimming? I think that's stupid. Oh sweetie. I do not know exactly. I enjoy it. And I do not hurt anyone, and it does not bother anyone.

Yes, you still have pains. I think that's stupid. Sweetie, I would have even pains if I won’t do that. But …… Now I got it. I made this video, where you cycled with the Puki-bike, you were a four-years-old. You just learned how to ride a bike. There you are, the laughter, the pleasure, and so on.

Where is the video? I'll show you right away. Or, when we were in the swimming-pool on vacation. There you are, when you had shed the fear, and slipped in the tube-slide again and again and again.

Yes. Can we go there? Sweetie, that was on vacation. In Denmark.

Nevertheless. The swimming-pool is closed now. Honestly. Or when we were in Abacolino (note: indoor playground), you never wanted to leave.

Yes. Can we go there? Now? Please, please, please!? Pumpkin, it is 8:00 pm now. You have to go to bed slowly. But tomorrow. Promised? We'll definitely get it. But we have to wait until Mom comes home from work tomorrow (note: Fortunately this was forgotten and the visit was canceled). But do you know what I wanted to tell you?

Nope. You had fun and joy in what you did. And you always wanted more, and wanted never to stop it, right? It's the same with my swimming activities. I also never want to stop, and it makes me happy what I do.

I do not understand. Can I watch TV? No. You have to go to bed. Now. Sweetie?

Yes? I love you.

Where's Mom? Good night my sweetie………….