Readers' Swims
Immerse yourself in fellow swimmers' personal narratives, sharing their swimming stories and memorable experiences.
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My NOWCA journey from Swim Coach to Course Leader
Adam Comfort tells us about the exciting new chapter in his swimming career.
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Event swimming: Expectation vs reality
Does your expectation of flailing limbs and being kicked in the face put you off open water swimming events? Naj…
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Champion of the waterways: endurance swimmer Oly Rush
Environmentalist has three big swims under his belt – a 100-mile Jurassic Coast swim, a circumnaviation of the Isle of…
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Swimming around the Isle of Wight
Matt Dawson plans to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight as part of an island triathlon. He tells us about his…
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My swim story: Luke Richards
From sinking to swimming, reader Luke Richards learns how to go the distance
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The Wild Swim Relay: a celebration of teamwork and resilience
Team swim challenges are more than the sum of their parts, as Ashleigh Bulcraig knows. Here, she shares her experience.
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Monsters and the unknown
Mental Health Swims Community Engagement Manager Sarah Groves updates us as she finishes week 12 of training in preparation for…
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Pearls of swimming wisdom with Claudia Bradby
Rowan Clarke chats with Claudia Bradby about how outdoor swimming is part of her identity—and how it inspired her exquisite…
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It starts with a mile
Jharna Kumawat's first event was a mile in the Serpentine and she's now training for Ullswater end to end. This…
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All the lidos
Lidos are magical and we want in. Rowan Clarke chats to Jem Collins to find out how we can collect…
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Rediscovering joy in swim challenges
Lifelong swimmer Hazel spent years focusing on her speed, technique and achievement in swimming. But now it's all about slowing…
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How to get over your fear of the deep
Plenty of swimmers fear what's underneath them when they're swimming. Jane learned how to rationalise her fear.
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Big swim, big feelings
Mental Health Swims Community Engagement Manager Sarah Groves updates us on her training and plans to swim the length of…
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Thirty swims before 30!
Sometimes the best swimming challenges are those we dream up for ourselves. Jodie Hoskin tells us her story
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Why take part in a swim event?
How would you feel about swimming non-stop for an hour? Debs has misgivings, but she puts them aside to start…
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From Udaipur to the UK
New contributor Jharna Kumawat fell in love with open water in India and now swims locally in Essex and Suffolk.…
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The wonder team!
What makes an outdoor swimming challenge so brilliant for mind, body and soul? We chose the most fun, inclusive, joyful…
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Making a splash in Hong Kong
American Brett Kruse fell in love with city swimming in Hong Kong and last year became the eighth person to…
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The diary of a Greek Odyssey
Is there anything more poetic than swimming 100km to save a museum?
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World of Water: Meet the swimmers behind our lead feature
The world we live in is messy, turbulent and, at times, downright scary. But around the world, outdoor swimmers, kind,…
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Your icy swims: a wintry weekend across Britain
Anyone else missing the icy temperatures we had last weekend? We loved seeing your photos from across the UK, braving…
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Plymouth swimmers making waves
Close encounters with seals, dolphins and the Royal Navy: Jason Mann shares the story of an adventurous band of Plymouth…
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Minreet Kaur: My first open water mile at Swim Serpentine
Minreet Kaur reports back from her first open water mile at Swim Serpentine – a real milestone that has given…
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Lorraine Candy’s Scilly Swim Challenge
'Postcards From Midlife' co-host Lorraine Candy joined her tribe of middle-aged women to take on the epic 15km Scilly Swim…
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A swim under the midnight sun
Matt Newbury travelled to Lapland with his husband Aaron and friend Queenie to take part in a truly unique swim…
