Swimming As Required In Some Occupations

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Exercise, recreation and athletic training are the three most common purposes for swimming. We agree that swimming is an excellent form of exercise; it is a good way to relax; and it provides the opportunity for a full-body workout.

Swimming may also be a requirement in certain occupations. Here are six examples:

Lifeguard:

This work is given to someone who is an expert swimmer. Lifeguards man beaches, water parks, and swimming pools, and their job calls for overseeing the safety of those who use such facilities or places. It is no wonder that a lifeguard needs to be a qualified strong swimmer. He or she should be trained and certified in water rescue and should have the expertise in using appropriate equipment and applying first aid.

Marine Biologist:

This job requires the observation of animals and plants in their natural habitat. Specifically, a marine biologist studies the different life forms of the ocean from a scientific point of view. He or she performs his/her job in various capacities, such as in analyzing the behaviors of fish species, studying the interactions of life forms in an ocean environment, or examining microscopic life forms in a part of an ocean. Because of the nature of his/her job, a marine biologist must not only be very good in swimming but must also be a qualified scuba diver.

Coast Guard:

A member of this organization takes part in its various sea services. While its specific responsibilities may differ from country to country, there are areas of similarities, which include search and rescue at sea, border control and maintenance of seamarks, enforcement of maritime law, and overseeing the safety of vessels. Obviously from this job description, a coast guard member has to be an adept swimmer.

Other Military Services:

Members of Special Forces, such as the Navy SEALS and Marine Corps, participate in missions and services that require lots of swimming. Examples are when they have to approach/depart a location, do intelligence gathering, or engage enemies, all of which have to be performed out in the sea. Since their job entails regular exposure to large bodies of water, Navy and Marine Corps personnel are required to complete trainings in basic swimming and water survival.

Pearl Diver:

Because of advances in technology, pearl diving has become virtually an obsolete occupation. There still are, however, pearl divers in some countries who risk the dangers of the deep in search of enough pearl oysters. In many cases, they descend to depths of more than a hundred feet on a single breath. There shouldn't be any doubt that this job requires being very good in both swimming and deep diving.

Water Ballet Performer:

Some entertainment companies offer aquatic shows, many of which include water ballet performances. Water ballet is actually the swimming competition we know as synchronized swimming, in which performers move in synchronized patterns to a musical accompaniment. Definitely water ballet performers are professional swimmers.

Being good in swimming, therefore, gives one the distinct advantage of possessing good health and of having a wide range of opportunities for many things that life offers.

Movies With Swimming As Theme

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Swimming is such an interesting subject that not a few movie makers considered at one time or another creating films based on this topic. In fact, there already were a number of films shown that carried the theme of "swimming."  Here are eight of them:

"Dangerous When Wet"

This is a 1953 musical that starred Esther Jane Williams, an American competitive swimmer who set a number of national and regional records during her teen years. The movie is most memorable for its featured animated swimming sequence, showing Williams with Tom and Jerry, the well-loved cat-and-mouse duo.

"The Swimmer"

The title alone leaves no doubt that this 1968 film touches on the theme of "swimming." It starred Burt Lancaster in the lead role (Ned Merrill). At one crucial point in his life, Ned vowed to "swim home," by swimming in every pool that he'll come across in his journey.

"Alex"

Classified as a sports drama, this 1993 film had Lauren Jackson in the lead role of Alex Archer. Alex dreams of competing in the Olympics (the Rome Olympics in particular), and seriously prepares for it. She's teeming with confidence when another swimmer of her caliber emerges and begins challenging her in every competition she enters in.

"Swimfan"

This 2002 American film starred Jesse Bradford as Ben Cronin, an aspiring Olympian swimmer training seriously to impress an athletic scout who is set to visit their place. His Olympic swimming dream is placed in jeopardy when the girl he had a one-night stand with threatens to wreck his life.

"On A Clear Day"

This is a 2005 British drama movie, which starred Peter Mullan in the role of Frank Redmond. Frank is an engineer in the shipyards on the River Clyde when he was let go of the company he's working for due to redundancy. Finding himself suddenly out of job, Frank, a naturally strong swimmer, gets a seemingly "out-of-this-world" idea with his friends to swim across the English Channel. His obsession for this new goal led to his rediscovering himself.

"Swimming Upstream"

This is a 2003 Australian film based on the life story of Australian swimmer Tony Fingleton (Jesse Spencer played the role). Tony grew up in a troubled family, constantly overshadowed by his five siblings in their father's eyes. Swimming became his outlet and it is through his extraordinary talent in this sport that he felt he finally has that chance of making his father proud of him.

"Pride"

This 2007 film starred Terrence Howard as Jim Ellis, a real-life swimming coach. Despite being an excellent swimmer, Jim was often the subject of discrimination from swimmers of other teams because he was the only black swimmer on his college team. As a coach, he dedicated himself to "saving" the troubled teens of Philadelphia by starting a swim team for them.

"Victor"

This is a 2-hour movie that was telecast on CBC Television in 2008. It is about the life of Victor Davis (played by swimmer Mark Lutz), a Canadian Olympic and world champion swimmer. The film captures Victor's heroic legacy, from his winning 29 national titles to his triumphant swim for the Gold in the 200-meter breaststroke event of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Other notable films about swimming include "Les Diaboliques," "The Guardian," "Alphaville," "Children of Glory," and "Water Lilies".