Navan woman aims to beat fear of water with triathlon

A Navan mum, who has already achieved her New Year's resolution of running 1,000 kilometres while also learning how to swim, has been named as Aura Leisurelink Navan's Member of the Month. Emer Brennan from Tatestown has been a member of the leisure centre since 2000 but her decision to take a new approach to her exercise routine has achieved enormous results. "I decided to do something different for 2011 and was encouraged to take a more detailed look at the running I was doing and to set myself a goal. That approach made everything more interesting," Emer explained. "I started mapping my run, recording how I felt on each run, whether I was getting faster or going slower. If I had a bad day I would look at what I ate and change that. All the tweaks and adjustments kept me going and going towards my target," she added. Her next challenge was to conquer her fear of water and to learn how to swim as part of a longer-term objective to capitalise on the work that she has already put into her running by completing a triathlon. "I want to complete a triathlon next year so learning to swim and becoming a stronger swimmer is a big part of achieving that goal. I started lessons as a complete novice just over five weeks ago and I can now swim one length. "Getting fit is all about participation and getting going. A lot of people are afraid to take exercise seriously and to set themselves a goal. I have found that the best way forward is not to think about it but to just do it," she said.