Do you know how to swim?
Uganda’s first Nobel peace prize nominee Victor Ochen has had a rare chance of learning the skill from the business magnate, investor and philanthropist Richard Branson.
Branson, who is the founder of Virgin Group revealed that his swimming aspirations developed after winning 10 shillings in a swimming bet when he was young.
“When I was a little boy I won 10 shillings from my Auntie Joyce by jumping into a freezing Devon river and trying to swim for the first time. Somehow, I survived, won the bet, and ever since then, I have loved swimming. I especially love teaching people to swim – using far less drastic methods than my Auntie Joyce!” Posted Branson on Instagram.
Congratulations to @Victor_OCHEN, the latest star pupil I’ve been fortunate enough to teach how to swim https://t.co/2cuTMSwe3s @_thenewnow pic.twitter.com/pWEybBgNXY
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) May 16, 2019
Branson’s latest trainee, Victor Ochen is a Ugandan leader of the African Youth Initiative Network –a campaigner for advancing world peace, through preaching to the youth of Africa to choose the path of non-violence.
“When Victor Ochen, a remarkable young leader from Uganda, visited recently for a Virgin Unite and Igniting Change gathering, I quickly learned he didn’t know how to swim. He got here from the airport via boat, and was very keen to ensure he didn’t fall in! I offered to teach him to swim. He looked at me very sceptically but was eager to give it a go,” stated the billionaire.
Also, Branson has notably trained other world leaders like South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Further, he went ahead to give some simple steps he has used to teach hundreds of people to swim.
“I start by getting them to put the lower part of their head underwater, repeating until they have their whole head under and eyes open. I then get them to see how long they can hold their breath underwater,” Branson revealed.
Swimming training seems not that easy as exhausted Victor wrote afterwards: “I didn’t realise how tired I was, so when I got in I slept like a big penguin.”
“Upon learning how to swim, I contemplated swimming from the Caribbean back to Uganda; but just to recall we are a land-locked country. Come visit Uganda soon, keep impacting lives in the water, on land, sky and space,” remarked the new swimmer.
Congratulations Victor on your new skill and for all of your inspiration!