On December 2nd 2022, 10 days before my 60th birthday, I had a major car accident and suffered some pretty serious injuries. The internal ones healed conservatively with rest. The ten broken ribs, shattered femur and broken kneecap required physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, not to mention some extraordinary surgery and care from the Royal Sussex Hospital.
All the services were amazing. I am so grateful to them and everyone for their care and kindness.
After a major trauma, I needed counselling for PTSD and to get back driving. I benefited greatly from the counselling and I am now driving and working again.
My recovery was aided by the fact that I had a good level of fitness, due in most, to regularly swimming at the Cowfold Community Pool, a weekly Pilates Class at St Michaels Church Hall and walking in the countryside.
Hydrotherapy has and remains a major factor in my recovery. I am doing Aqua Jog at Ryden Pool, run by SLK Yoga who also run classes on the A272 in West Grinstead, and I am attending the gym, Intent91 at Cowfold.
By April 2023 I was able to attend Cowfold Community Pool, doing my physiotherapy exercises and swimming. The pool is a gem tucked away behind St Peters Church; open air, heated to 28 degrees, 15m with maximum depth of 1.2m. There are steps to access the pool, but, when I first went back, I was still on crutches and I sat on the side and swung my legs over.
I have been part of the Cowfold Swim Group for the last three years and it was in great part due to swimming here that my fitness level had improved prior to my accident. The group is primarily for lane swimming, but I stayed in my lane and did my physio exercises and swam. There is also a regular swim yoga group, toddler splash class and you can privately hire it, out of school hours, their website has all the details.
This all raises money to maintain the pool and ensure that it continues for the school children to learn to swim and members of the community to take advantage of this facility. The pool was built by the community in 1969, after three young men from the area drowned the previous year, at West Wittering, in an accident at sea.
I have for the last couple of years run the swim group in conjunction with the school and I am raising awareness so that other people can benefit from it, and get active.
For information about lane swimming, please either contact me or contact the Cowfold Community Pool, on estherkingswell@googlemail.com / 01403 710593
www.cowfoldcommunitypool.org.uk
Esther Kingswell