‘Write as if you were swimming’

The first and only time I trained under tito Bert Lozada was back when I was 10 years old. It was summer, and I had a one-on-one swim session with tito Bert. His coaching style caught me entirely off-guard—the very strict, almost military style of coaching, complete with shouting and a long stick, in case my stroke was wrong, which he would use to correct it. I never returned to training after that.

As I grew older, I realized I wanted to be more serious with the sport, I trained under his son, coach Anthony Lozada, during my college varsity days. Coach Anthony was the exact opposite, nurturing, and with a way of motivating you to keep on swimming even if you’re the slowest of swimmers. He would focus on you to improve your strokes, and with that kind of positive reinforcement, you yourself know how to motivate yourself—indirectly learning life skills while you’re just doing laps.

“For the past 70 years, we are proud to say BLSS shaped character, not just athletes,” coach Anthony said in his speech celebrating the 70 years of the Bert Lozada Swimming School (BLSS). “Our swimming pool has always been a classroom—one that taught and developed discipline, resilience, courage, and the quiet confidence that comes from showing up, even when the water feels cold,” coach Anthony added. 

Those were also the times I got to see tito Bert’s fatherly and relaxed side; since he was no longer coaching at that time, we would see each other at swim meets, events, and even the mall. I greatly mourned tito Bert’s passing back in 2009, because I lost not just a coach, but also someone who was like a grandfather to me. 

I never got to be an elite competitive swimmer, I never competed beyond collegiate sports, but there was more I gained being trained under tito Bert (albeit indirectly), coach Anthony, and the Bert Lozada Swim School (BLSS) system. The sport even opened doors for me and nurtured my career as a writer, stylist, and media practitioner. 

I briefly worked with BLSS, as a swim instructor in 2003, and we started a swim magazine back in 2005, with Enchong Dee as the cover. That is why I always told myself, “Write as if you were swimming.” 

I learned more than just swimming and perfecting strokes; I still swim to this day, at 45, though not as often. I still message coach Anthony from time to time, and ask if I can train. And I even get to see coach Anthony train swimmers who are blind and amputees.  

Overall, the Lozada philosophy behind training swimmers and athletes is this: Anyone can swim regardless of who you are, whether you’re 9 or 90. The athletes, who trained under tito Bert and his sons Angelo and Anthony would definitely relate to this line from coach Anthony’s 70th year anniversary speech, “Our swimmers may forget their fastest lap time, but they will never forget the coach or the swim teacher, who helped them believe in themselves that they could do it.”