Describe a person who taught you a useful skill

The person who taught me a really useful skill is my father, and the skill is how to swim. Although it might sound basic, it has actually been important in my life.

I was about nine years old when we went on a family holiday by a lake. I had always been afraid of water, mainly because I'd swallowed some as a toddler and never forgot it. My father decided that the time had come for me to overcome this fear.

He taught me in a very careful way. On the first day he didn't ask me to swim at all. We just stood in the shallow water, and he showed me how to blow bubbles and put my face under. Then he held me under the stomach while I kicked my legs, and gradually he took his hands away without telling me. The next day, I was floating by myself. It took us about two weeks, but by the end of the holiday I was swimming across a small part of the lake.

This skill is useful for several reasons. Most importantly, it's about safety, because I can feel confident near any water. It also provides me with a way to keep fit, and I now swim twice a week at the local pool. Plus, it has made travel more enjoyable, as I can snorkel and take part in water activities.

I'm very grateful to my father for his patience. He taught me that fears can be overcome in small steps.