First plunge

Years back, I " was selling " magazines. I " gave that up and went into producing them instead. I would organize fashion shoots, pull out clothes from shops, and book photographers and models. This is the reason I sometimes I have photo shoots for my column.

I’ve had great fun in a job that sometimes seems like it is a scene from the movie The Devil Wears Prada.

Sometime in the middle of last year, I was approached by my swim coaches. They asked me if I wanted to work on a magazine about swimming that they were planning to put out. It was going to be called Swim.ph.

I said yes. But here was the catch: I would be editor-in-chief. "They’re joking," I thought to myself, given my limited editorial experience. More than a decade ago, I was asked to write for Young STAR. My response was, "Huh?" The good news is that I have recovered my wits in time to perform my tasks to the best of my ability.

I must admit the thought of being in charge of a magazine initially overwhelmed me. I worried about logistics, particularly since competitive swimming is not popular in the country. Working in magazines may be fun, but it is highly competitive. There were a few heart-stopping moments, so I heaved a sigh of relief when the first copy of Swim.ph rolled off the presses.

It was quite a learning experience. As the magazine came to life piece by piece, I began to understand why my coaches wanted to push through with this new venture. With this newfound passion, coming up with ideas wasn’t much of a struggle.

Swim.ph wants to show that swimming is more than just about competition and medals. It is also a lifestyle sport — a very healthy one, too. Swimming can be fashionable, despite the skimpy outfits. With their physiques, swimmers make really good models.

Writing for Young STAR has greatly helped me in preparing for my Swim.ph experience. I have learned to keep things simple, and always try to find that connection with the readers.

This magazine is an attempt to create a greater interest in the sport, spreading the message that swimming is for everyone, and its benefits are more than just the physical. Philippine swimming may be in rough waters at the moment, but we see a lot of potential.

Our "first plunge" is just the start.

Swim.ph is a magazine supplement of the April Metro Working Mom and summer issue of Metro Active Magazine of ABS-CBN Publishing.

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E-mail the author at ketsupluis@yahoo.com.