I had been swimming again for the past few months, trying to get fit for a summer triathlon, I had a swimming background in my youth but it had been many years since I'd swum competitively. The local masters' swim program had me back in shape but, unfortunately, had my shoulder out of sorts as well.
The coach of the masters' program, Eric, was nearly twenty years removed from his college swimming days but maintained a high level of fitness and the body of a man half his age. He was a physical therapist by trade but also ran the aquatic program at my athletic club. He had put me through my paces for the past hour.
The evening swim was finished and I was the last out of the pool and late getting into the showers. The club was closing up so I had to get moving. As I walked toward the shower room, I had to stop and work my arm back and forth to relieve a pinch in the rotator cuff that had been increasing in its annoyance. I reached back and arched my hand behind me. Placing it against the wall to get a good stretch.
"You know, I could help you with that stretch, if you'd like," I heard from behind. I looked back and there was Eric, standing in his Speedo with a towel over his shoulder. "I am a professional, after all." He smiled.
"No, it's all good," I replied, not thinking much of it. "We better get along before they lock us in."
"Not to worry," he replied. "I'm closing up tonight and I'm pretty sure the place is empty by now."
I walked to the closest stall and turned on the shower. I let the hot water wash over me and rubbed at my shoulder as streams ran down my face and over my body. As a rolled my shoulder once more to work out the kink, something inside pinched and I winced in pain. "Shit!" I cried out.
Eric came around from his adjacent stall and asked, "Everything okay?"
"This rotator cuff thing is a bitch," I replied.
"Here, let me give it a go." Eric stepped forward and told me to turn around. He reached an arm around me and pulled me close from behind, pinning me against his chest as his other arm and hand pushed against my shoulder blade.
"Dude, what are you doing?"