‘I really need to learn how to say no’: Woman visiting Germany went for a swim, but accidentally found herself auditioning for the Olympic Swim team

During a recent stay in Germany, English comedian Helena Kate Moody had a chaotic day where an attempt at a casual swim turned into an athletic trial of sorts. The story, which she shared on TikTok and Instagram, has gained massive traction, racking up 2.1 million views on TikTok alone. With the caption, “Michael Phelps? More like Michael yelps cos I’m coming for his job x,” Moody documented her bizarre encounter with a local swim coach named Reinhardt.

Moody starts her video saying, “Welcome to the weirdest afternoon of my life, because I just accidentally did a trial for the German Olympic swim team,” she said. After ignoring signs she couldn’t read because of the language barrier, she says she found herself in an empty facility with only one elderly man present. She introduces herself, which gets her a startling response: “Hello, my name is Reinhardt, and I am the Berlin Olympic swim team coach, and you’re in luck.”

Before she could process his answer, he was handing her a pool divider and shouting commands. “He then turns to me and goes, ‘All right, Helena, get in the pool. Give me 50 meters breaststroke,’” Moody recalled. Despite her initial hesitation, she found herself complying. 

She noted that it only got weirder from there

She said that he quickly noticed she didn’t have a cap, and insisted it was illegal to swim without one. Then he proceeded to put one on her himself, while she stood there awkwardly in a borrowed, too-small swimsuit. 

“At this point, I am bent over a pool in an undersized swimming costume with a strange German man yelling things at me whilst trying to put a swimming hat on me before I compete in trials for the Olympic swim team,” she noted before observing, “I really need to learn how to say no.”

Moody noted that a group of women and children then arrived. At which point Moody was not only was placed in their lane, one child that she thought was around 13 years old was assigned to her by Reinhardt as her tutor.  

“I can’t believe that this actually got weirder. Because her f–king mother arrived, and she swam up to her and goes, Mum, I’ve met this adult woman, and she’s now my friend and I’m thinking ‘Oh dear, prison time for Heli.’ I went in for a casual swimming session. I came out looking like a nonce,” she joked. 

By the end of the 40-minute session, she was exhausted, but Reinhardt kept pushing her to finish three more laps. She admitted, “And for some reason I keep swimming. Honestly, he could have asked for my life savings, and I would have said cash or card.”

Moody then concluded, saying, “So, eventually, I take matters into my own hands and go to leave. Reinhardt shakes my hand and says, ‘Helena, welcome to the team!’ And I take one look at the group behind me, one look at him, and I think, ‘Reinhardt, this isn’t a team is it? This is a mum’s and kids club, and you know what, I’m in.’ So, I’m going next Monday.”

TikTok has been enjoying the story, with many followers chiming in on her social media posts. User WelshLadyinEssex wrote, “Can’t wait watch you in the next Olympics,” while Emily Thom asked, “Did you make the team tho?” Moody humorously replied, “Apparently yes but god help me if I know what team that is.” Instagram users were equally entertained, with nicklash1988 commenting, “Reinheart is precisely the level of mischievous old man I aspire to be.”

In a follow-up post, Moody clarified that she had joined a group for “Seahorse graduates from age 5.” The condition for her staying on the team is that she must learn German and be able to say, “I swam under the authority of Reinhardt.” Additionally, thanks to community demand, Moody now has a series around her swimming misadventures with Reinhardt.

Moody’s accidental workout actually aligns with some solid health advice. According to the Cleveland Clinic, exercise physiologist Christopher Travers states that swimming is an incredible way to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and reduce joint impact. 

Travers notes that swimming is a great choice for almost anyone, as the buoyancy of water takes the weight off joints while providing resistance to help strengthen muscles. It is also an excellent way to keep the mind sharp and improve overall mental health.

Outside of health, swimming is also an important life skill that helped a 13-year-old save his family by swimming four hours to reach rescuers. In Arizona, a three-year-old is now fighting for his life after he was found floating facedown in a pool.