The story is taken from William Douglas’ autobiography ‘Of Men and Mountains’, where he shares how he overcame his fear of water through strong will and determination.
As a small child, William Douglas went to the beach in California with his father. There, he became very scared when huge waves knocked him down. This experience left a deep fear of water in his mind. Later, while trying to learn swimming in a Y.M.C.A. (Young Men’s Christian Association) pool — considered a safe part of the Yakima River — another boy suddenly pushed him into the deep end. William Douglas felt like he was going to drown, which worsened his fear even more.
For many years, he stayed away from water. However, his strong desire to swim and enjoy fishing motivated him to overcome his fear. He took swimming lessons from an instructor who trained him well. Even after learning how to swim, the fear would occasionally return. But William bravely faced it and challenged it.
Eventually, he realized that the fear existed only in his mind. By confronting it repeatedly, he finally conquered it. This experience taught him that death itself is peaceful — it is the fear of death that truly terrifies us. After defeating his fear, he felt a renewed love for life and began to live more freely and fearlessly.
