"I had 2 children and I managed with them, but then you had to--my mother had had 7 children and you just had to get on with it."
Hilda's story is about how at the age of 63 she learnt how to swim. Swimming helped to ease the pain caused by her arthritis. Hilda wants to tell people that they should try and gain the confidence to achieve their goals.
When I was 23 years old I got a job up at the Haywood Hospital, washing all the veggies for the teas. I had to run them under cold water and my hands were under the water all day every day.
I complained of a tingling in my fingers after a while and this is how, at the age of 24, I found out I had rheumatoid arthritis. I struggled with it for years. I had 2 children and I managed with them, but then you had to--my mother had had 7 children and you just had to get on with it. One day, the doctor said to me, 'you know, swimming could really help you'. 'No chance!' I thought, 'you won't get me in the water'. I'd never learned to swim. I'd take my daughters and they really enjoyed it, but I was petrified of water. After a lot of hard work my daughter persuaded me to go to the baths, but it took a lot more hard work to get me to go in the water. There was a slope you could walk down, but the water was all wavy because of people already in the pool. I was scared of falling in, but I did get used to it eventually. The swimming baths assistants told me how to move my arms and legs, my daughter would help and my granddaughter would get hold of my arms and dance with me in the water, 'oh Good Lord'! After going to the baths every week for 9 months, at the age of 63 I learned to swim. I was really pleased to be able to show off about it! It did help ease my arthritis, but more than that I felt I'd reached my goal and it felt good. Now I feel I've got the confidence to have a go at anything! | 
