Simon Griffiths swam 12km down the River Shannon with Gaelforce Events

The River Shannon owns the record for the longest river in the British Isles. Apparently, this is a useful piece of trivia for pub quizzes, but it wasn’t something I knew before I took part in the Gaelforce Great River Swim. It always surprises me what I learn from swimming.

The river is often referred to as “mighty” and I can well imagine it’s a force to be reckoned with when in spate. It drains around a fifth of the total land area of Ireland. But on 17 May this year, it was more majestic than mighty, its power hidden beneath a serene and soothing surface.

Gaelforce Events has run swimming events in the Shannon since 2023 but this was the first year they extended to the 12km distance. Around 85 of us signed up. We were in for a treat.

We entered the water in the village of Tarmonbarry, just downstream from Tarmonbarry Lock. It’s a picturesque spot. The river is around 100m wide, banked by reeds and surrounded by low-lying farmland. The water is a deep peaty brown colour and feels silky smooth to swim in.

The Shannon at Tarmonbarry has already passed through some 50 miles of Ireland’s heartlands. It’s mostly rural. Unlike the Thames, there are no major towns and their accompanying sewage treatment works. The water quality is excellent. One local assured me it was drinkable, although I didn’t put that to test.

Navigation was simple. Swim downstream until you hit Lough Ree, then turn left to finish. We were given the full run of the river and left to our own devices to choose the best line. I liked that. The only markers on the river were large buoys every kilometre, but these were just to help you keep track of distance not show the best line.

Fast swimming

River flow was low in 2025 as Ireland has had unusually little rain. But it was still noticeable. One of the joys of river swimming is covering the distance at faster than normal swimming speed and watching the banks glide by. The water was also unseasonably warm at around 18 degrees. If you do this swim another year, prepare yourself for cooler water and a stronger current.

The ease of navigation and the tranquil conditions made this one of the most relaxing swims I’ve done. The river meanders a little but generally heads south. It narrows and widens again, as rivers do. There are a couple of islands, too. I swam through it all in a contented flow state.

Approaching Lanesborough, you pass a decommissioned peat-burning power station. This incongruous building serves as a useful landmark. I think it was the only building I saw throughout the swim. If you have any energy left at this stage, you could try to speed up. Shortly after the power station, you swim under the N63 and Lough Ree opens up ahead of you. Arc around to your left and swim into the event village where volunteers help you out of the water. Your swim is over, but don’t rush off.

The festival

The first reason not to disappear as soon as you cross the line is that the finish area and event village are in a lovely location at the top of Lough Ree. There’s plenty of space to stretch out, relax and enjoy the view.

Stay to soak up the festival atmosphere, too. There’s a live band, local exhibitors and, importantly, food. Take a moment to get to know your fellow swimmers. What did they see that you missed, and vice versa. What other events do they recommend?

I enjoyed watching other swimmers finish. Whether they’ve done the 12km or one of the shorter swims (800m, 3.5km or 5.8km) everyone has something to celebrate. Some sprint for the finish in a tussle with a friend or maybe just someone they’ve been swimming next to. Others stop to enjoy the moment and check the views before they cross the line. It seems as if they’re reluctant to stop swimming. Some wave their arms in celebration. Others look as if they can barely lift the arms but their faces beam with pride.

Smooth operation

Overall, the Great River Swim was well organised. From bag drop off, registration and transportation to the start, everything ran smoothly and on time. The feed station at the half-way point on the 12km was well-stocked and easy to find. The team and volunteers were friendly and helpful. The festival encouraged swimmers and their friends to hang around and socialise. If you fancy a longish, early season swim in a lovely location, then add the Great River Swim to your list.

What else to do

My trip to the Great River Swim was supported by Tourism Ireland. Lanesborough, despite its stunning location at the top of Lough Ree, is not as well-known tourist destination as Ireland’s dramatic west coast. Yet it’s worth a visit and we could easily have spent more time exploring the area. In the little we had, we strolled along a pretty section of Royal Canal that connects the River Shannon to Dublin, visited the Corlea Trackway, which has the remains of an amazing Iron Age floating pathway across the peat bogs, and took in a couple of neolithic burial mounds.

We also spent an afternoon exploring part of the Wild Atlantic Way, looping around the amazing Killary Fjord, the location for one of Gaelforce’s other swims. It was a lot to pack into a weekend and our brief visit has left us wanting to go back for more.

Find out more:

Great River Swim: gaelforceevents.com/en/gaelforce-great-river-swim
Great Fjord Swim: gaelforceevents.com/en/gaelforce-great-fjord-swim
Great Lake Swim: gaelforceevents.com/en/gaelforce-great-lake-swim
Watch Simon’s interview with event organiser Mary Young:
Visit Ireland: Ireland.com

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A unique opportunity to swim along a beautiful stretch of coastline

First light. The air is fresh, having blown in from the Atlantic. We descend the long flight of steps towards the beach. I hear the chatter of nervous but excited swimmers, in Portuguese, Spanish and English. We’re about to swim 10km and it might be tough.

Near the bottom of the steps, we enter a tunnel through the rocks and emerge onto a deserted beach hemmed in by towering limestone cliffs. After being given our final instructions (head to the rock stack in the bay, turn right and keep going) we wade in and start swimming.

This stretch of coast faces south. The sun rises in the east and swings around towards the south through the morning. This means the golden cliffs are bathed in warming sunlight and they look amazing.

These cliffs and the caves of the Algarve are justly famous. But this normally makes swimming here tricky. Tourist and other boats race through these waters hunting out caves and secret bays and pay little heed to swimmers.

The beauty of this swim is that the Coast Guard shuts down marine traffic for a rare few hours. All you need to do is relax, keep swimming parallel to the shore and enjoy the views. The swim is a unique opportunity to admire this special stretch of coastline from the water.

The marathon distance is always a challenge. Conditions today are mostly calm, but this is the Atlantic. Now and then I swim into a bumpy patch and have to remind myself to relax, stay calm and hold my technique. The water is also cooler than I expected – around 17 degrees. I am therefore happy to be wearing a wetsuit, but a few are swimming without.

Remember to eat and drink

The field spreads out quickly. I soon find myself swimming alone – but not on my own. I notice one of the safety kayakers keeping an eye on me. The first feed station comes around quickly and I grab a drink and a gel.

The volunteers on the station tell me I’m doing great. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but it’s encouraging. I bump into a couple of other swimmers there. I wasn’t as separated from them as I thought.

I press on and soon find myself at the second feed station. I don’t feel ready for more food but I take a gel just in case. This was lucky as I only see the third station after I’ve passed it.

The only navigational challenge comes just before the end where we have to loop back on ourselves before swimming onto the wide beach at Caneiros to finish. I can’t see the turn buoy and start wondering if I’ve misremembered the map. Then I see one of the lead swimmers heading towards me and I know I’m close. I spot the buoy, make the turn and up my tempo for the final charge to the finish arch.

I stand up as my hand touches the sand, and I’m promptly knocked off my feet by a wave. I crawl out of the breakers, try standing again, and then run up the beach to the finish. Here, I’m handed a drink and a snack to keep me going until the official celebrations start.

Party time

After many swims, the first swimmers have changed and gone before the final swimmers return. Not here. Swim Party took over the beach restaurant at Caneiros to celebrate our swims. I settle down in a lounger, enjoy a delicious meal and then join the line for some Swim Party cake. I chat with my fellow swimmers and we agree it would be fantastic to come back next time.

Next edition: 6 September 2025

https://swimparty10km.com

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More than 700 swimmers from across the world gathered at the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships at Tooting Bec Lido to celebrate the return of the popular swim gala. Ella Foote reports.

After a week of grim, wet weather, it was a welcome relief to wake to blue sky and sunshine on the morning of the UK Cold Water Swimming Championships. The event, which has grown over the years, was last held in 2019 and is a favourite for swimmers across the world. The event is run by volunteers from the South London Swimming Club at Tooting Bec Lido, London. The swimming club was established in 1906 and is run by volunteers to preserve Tooting Bec Lido and to ensure the pool remains a viable and valuable resource for the local community. If you are a member, you can swim regularly at the pool, even in winter, and join weekly races in sun, rain or snow!

Tooting Bec Lido is the largest freshwater pool in the UK at just over 91 meters long and 30 meters wide. It is a glorious place to swim and train, loved by locals and visiting swimmers alike. My first ever swim at Tooting was entering the event many years ago and I remember now how I was blown away by just how big the pool is.

This year’s event was highly anticipated after the bi-annual event took a break during the Covid-19 pandemic followed by a period of closure to renovate and maintain the pool. The sun was out, the air temperature was a cool and the water was a chilly 5.5ºC. While there is a competitive element to the event – there are 90m and 30m distances in freestyle, breaststroke and ice fly – the biggest and most entertaining part of it all is the hat competition.

I was joined at the event by colleagues Simon Griffiths, Sophie Etheridge and Rowan Clarke, but there were many other swimmers to see and meet. One of the best things about the event is catching up, bumping into and meeting new swim pals. I swam the 90m freestyle, 30m breaststroke and then joined author Emma Simpson’s relay team with flower adorned bonnets. While I was never out to win any medals, our founder and publisher Simon Griffiths loves to race!

“I felt slightly guilty about indulging my competitive instincts when most people were there to show off their fancy hats or just soak up the carnival atmosphere,” says Simon. “Still, I was secretly pleased to walk away with two individual medals and one from a relay. I first got dragged into cold water swimming 10-years ago at the 2015 edition of this event. I was a reluctant convert to the cold and took a lot of persuading, but now I’m a tiresome evangelist for it.”

The hat competition is always insanely competitive and incredibly impressive. Swimmers’ creativity and imagination is always fantastic but at this event, it is at another level. Within minutes of entering the pool area I was smiling. A woman was wading through the crowd with a table on her head and full tea party; alongside her was a mad hatter! The hats are worn in the traditional heads-up breaststroke race, the fancier the better. There is also a marvellous hat parade for spectators to look on in awe. I had sympathy for the judges as this year’s hats were insanely brilliant. There was everything from knitted or crocheted hats to cleverly engineered headgear. My favourites included a dragonfly made from recycled materials, a paper-mâché Nessie (which was worn by four swimmers to make the monster) and wave/splash complete with diving Barbie dolls.

The championships are brilliantly organised and this year’s event was made possible by over 200 volunteers. Swimmers were looked after from the moment they stepped out of their clothes to the moment they slipped into the warming hot tubs. It is not an easy task to schedule races and ensure everyone is safe, happy and fed. Pop-up food vans and hot drinks kept us all going and in between swims you could slip into the retail marque for a some further swim-inspiration.

The next event will be held in 2027, so there is time to start planning your hat – never mind training for the swims!

Read Ella’s review of Portishead Popsicle.

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It wasn’t just ice that was broken at the sixth IISA World Championships in Molveno, Italy, many ice swimming records were broken too, with British swimmers bringing home 96 medals. Ella Foote reports

Not long after I arrived in Molveno, Italy, I was drawn out of my hotel to the sounds of drumming and music. In the distance I could see a river of people snaking towards the town square waving flags from around the world – the Ice Swimmers were here!

Much like the start of the Olympics, the International Ice Swimming Association start their World Championships with a participant parade and it was something special to see 760 swimmers from 40 different countries circle the church to stand proud and ready for the 2025 event.

Italy had a record number of participants. When IISA started, Italy only had one ice swimmer but this year 80 swimmers took part and Italian swimmer Egor Tropeano won the 100 meters breaststroke event. I was told by a local that Italians don’t like to be cold, so it is surprising that there are any swimmers willing to represent the country!

Usually in winter, Molveno is quiet with most people staying in or close to nearby ski resort town, Andalo. While in summer the lakeside town is thriving, busy with tourists and Italians on holiday or visiting for lake views, swimming and beaches. In winter you are unlikely to see anyone in the water with the mountains covered in snow and temperatures hovering around -4ºC. The area is a winter destination for skiing, sledding and snowshoe hiking, so, for locals, it was a spectacle to see almost 800 swimmers descend on the town for the World Championships, training and dipping in the lake and then racing in water temperatures between 1ºC and 1.5ºC in their usually heated outdoor pool.

Before the event could get started it took a team to people to clear three to four inches of ice from the pool’s surface. The ice was piled up a short distance from the pool and quickly became a popular and brilliant photo opportunity for spectators and competitors. The weather and conditions were ideal with clear, blue skies, a daily dose of sunshine, snow-capped mountains and below freezing temperatures. Even as a spectator, I had to be wrapped up and prepared for the chill. It made the event even more impressive and even more spectacular to watch.

In fact, watching is what many people across the world did, because the event was live streamed online for people to support from their warm homes in their home country. Many in the UK logged on daily to watch their friends or family members tackle their ice swims.

Cathy Munro had her first real experience of swimming in water so cold. “My training is both pool and lake swimming but the lakes I swim in Hampshire and Surrey were around 6-7ºC and so I could have done with more acclimatisation to have swum my absolute best,” says Cathy. “My first event, the 500m freestyle, was a bigger challenge than I expected, but I did get a silver age group medal. The 250m freestyle was my best event, the cold less of an issue with a shorter distance and I was able to race, I got a gold in my age group. I was apprehensive for the 1km event. It was in the afternoon, so the air temperature had dropped to -3ºC and the water was down to 1ºC, but I made a plan and managed to get silver in my age group! It was a challenging championship and at 62-years-old I still have many lessons to learn.”

Team GB had 46 swimmers at this year’s event; the youngest team member, Frankie Jackson, is just 14 years old. The team came home with six overall medals and 90 age group medals. Jessika Robson, another young swimmer at 18 years-old, got silver in the 1km, bronze in the 500m and 250m freestyle and bronze for 100m backstroke as well as breaking four British swimming records and achieving age group medals. The other medals went to Melanie Hall (bronze in 100m breaststroke) and Jonty Warneken (silver in 50m para breaststroke). “I am still in shock at my overall breaststroke medal as I consider my best stroke to be freestyle on the account of having one leg!”

“Swimming the 1km was a highlight for me,” says Jessika. “I trained hard especially for that event, but I’ve never swam that distance in water that cold! Swimming in a lane next to Alisa Fatum-Boker, who is an absolute legend, and then to be stood next to her on the podium made me crazy emotional. The atmosphere of the whole week was incredible. It was such a cool experience being able to swim against other people from across the world in the ice.”

“It was so pleasing to see how Jessika swam,” says Jonty Warneken, IISA Vice President. “For an 18-year-old to come in and get overall silver in 1K and bronze in 500m in her first World Championship is just an astonishing achievement and is testament to her training. She is a real credit to herself, the team and her family. It is great to see junior swimmers representing at this level, they swam so well, it shows me that the future of the sport is secure.”

From the youngest to the oldest GB swimmer, Sallie Cheung broke the age group world record with her 50m and 100m breaststroke. Sallie at 71, was impressed by the diversity of swimmers at the event. “You cannot look at someone and know how quick or how beautiful in the water they are going to be,” says Sallie. “That is the joy of the sport – competitive or social, swimming is magical! There were many highlights for me: the sunshine, the mountains and seeing our names on the big TV. It was great to see GB swimmer Brian Bain swim in all 12 of the individual events and win medal in 11 of them. There was great spirit, great swimming, great volunteers, great atmosphere and Great Britain!”

The IISA event was a first for many swimmers, including most of the USA team. Rena Demeo, USA’s team captain was surprised how protective she felt towards her team.

“Most of the team are new to IISA events and so I wanted to assure them that they were always OK and they were on the team for a reason,” says Rena. “I didn’t expect to feel so maternal. There were some tears that came with the fears and I loved that people trusted me with those feelings – it’s a big deal. I didn’t care much about the times, I was simply proud that they had the guts to try, winning was a super bonus!”

USA team member Qing Li was thrilled to be in the team and set an age group world record in the 200 individual medley. “I was thrilled to compete at the event,” says Qing. “This is a sport that is built on a culture of having utmost humility of one’s abilities, respect for fellow athletes, and appreciation for the community support to keep each other safe. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of Team USA and showcase the incredible spirit of this sport on the world stage.”

Also, part of the USA team was Outdoor Swimmer contributor Elaine K Howley, who just so happened to finish her backstroke heat as I hung out at the end of the pool. It was a great place to hang and meet swimmers we have featured in the magazine and yet, I have never met in person. Like Ice Mermaid from Chile, Bárbara Hernández, who I was thrilled to finally chat to and who will feature in our April issue. It was also wonderful to meet Austrian swimmer Josef Köberl who swims in an ice palace – more on that later this year!

The IISA are working to get ice swimming into the Winter Olympics and so this event had all the style, flare and rules of serious competition. Our GB team had to train and qualify to take part before then passing various medical checks before competition. The overall attitude of the IISA is that the event should be safe, the IISA motto is “Safety and Integrity in the ICE.”

If you would like to learn more about the IISA or future events, visit: internationaliceswimming.com

IISA stats

• IISA – The International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) was formed in 2009
• Ice Swimming is swimming in water temperature of 5ºC / 41ºF or lower
• ISA now holds Ice Swims in 46 countries and has membership in 73 countries around the world
• Team GB was made up of 46 swimmers and took home96 medals
• 11 Para-swimmers took part in the 2025 event representingseven countries

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Portishead Popsicle is a highlight in many swimmers’ calendars and for the second time Ella Foote plunged into Portishead Open Air Pool for its winter event

There are many swimming events that feel more like a social gathering than something sporty, but the Portishead Popsicle is like a party from beginning to end – complete with fancy outfits, warming drinks, making new friends and catching up with old pals.

My ice-fly performance was a bit of a mess at this year’s annual winter swim gala in Portishead. Still very much an amateur butterfly swimmer, I entered the event two years ago and managed to get third place by default as not many people like to swim fly! This year there were three heats and I was in a lane next to skilled swimmer and former Outdoor Swimmer colleague Joanne Jones. I may have been in with some sort of chance, had I not been chatting too much at the start and then forgetting what stroke I was supposed to be swimming as the cool water hit the back of my neck!

Unlike many swim-gala events, it doesn’t matter much what type of swimmer you are at the Portishead Popsicle, the most important thing at this event is having fun.

The annual event is always a sell-out, and it is quickly becoming one of my favourite events of the year. There are some serious swim distances to tackle in low temperatures, but what always draws the biggest crowd is the relay races – which have become more about what to wear while swimming rather than the swimming itself. The event starts with the ice-fly races, quickly followed by the 333m race and 133m races. These always have a brilliant blend of seriously speedy swimmers and heads-up bobbers. There are prizes and places to swim for, but much of the focus seems to be on being able to swim while laughing, ensuring you get your breathing right in between strokes.

As well as swim heats to take part in, there are performances by the popular Almost Synchro swim team (pictured above) and a loony Grand National swim race which includes swimming lengths on inflatable animals. Whether you are a swimmer or a spectator there is always something to see, even if often you can’t believe your own eyes. It is the absolute best antidote to festive fatigue.

The relay races have traditionally always been quite a spectacle but each year the costumes become more elaborate and creative. There was a distinct sour theme with sewage this year, but it was sweetened by the brilliance of the costumes. Fancy dress winners, Smurfers Against Sewage, swam head-to-toe in blue complete with litter and poo dragging behind. Grape Expectation swimmers were covered in balloons to look like bunches of grapes and once in the water were unrecognisable as swimmers at all. There was even a team of brides who swam in bridal gowns and managed to stay afloat!

Events like this keep community-run lidos like Portishead going and certainly puts the pool on the map and into the swim calendar each year. If you have a local pool that could do with some support, perhaps consider a swim-gala to raise some much-needed cash and awareness of your local amenity. The Portishead Popsicle celebrates swimming and swimmers like no other event. It’s inclusive, fun and totally thanks to the team and volunteers at the pool who work tirelessly to plan the event and keep us safe on the day.

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In September, digital editor Abi Whyte swam four miles in the River Arun with spinal cord charity Aspire. A newbie to front crawl, here’s how she got on on this beautiful swim through rural West Sussex.  

I started working as digital editor for Outdoor Swimmer in August 2022. Prior to this, my experience as an outdoor swimmer was more of the dipping kind, and usually within the summer months. Joining a team of swimmers who it do all year round and take part in all sorts of challenges was intimidating to say the least. 

The thing is, the more I settled into my role, the more I found the idea of open water events rather tantalising. I started to wonder what the fuss was all about. 

When Simon Griffiths, the magazine’s founder, mentioned the River Arun Swim to me, it sounded like an ideal open water challenge for first timers like myself. Organised by SwimQuest in aid of spinal injury charity Aspire, the challenge is a 4-mile (6.5km) swim along the River Arun in West Sussex with a group of up to 20 swimmers. It is a tidally assisted swim, which means it feels much easier than swimming the same distance in a lake or pool. 

While a tidally-assisted swim sounded appealing (and it’s near Arundel, which I’d always wanted to visit), I was daunted by the distance and the fact that I only knew how to do breaststroke. Slowly! Anyway, I signed up knowing I had nine months to prepare, including learning a stroke I’d had my sights on for a while… front crawl! 

Getting the hang of front crawl 

I began my training in the pool in January, usually twice a week, occasionally three if I could fit it in. First I worked on my front crawl breathing, starting with unilateral breathing, then managing to do bilateral breathing without feeling puffed out.  

Training went smoothly… for a while! A glute injury during a 10km mud run set things back, making it a struggle to swim in a straight line. I persevered with the swimming, doing stretches and Pilates exercises when I could to help the injury. This plus regular massages definitely helped, bit I still felt niggles from time to time.  

As temperatures warmed I took my training into a local lake and began working on my sighting, and practised swimming in a wetsuit (which is an option for the Arun swim). My front crawl began to feel more streamlined as I focused on being more horizontal in the water and engaging my core. However as the big swim approached, I think I might have overdone it or got my technique wrong, because my right shoulder started to feel sore.  

Two weeks before the swim I eased back on my training to give my shoulder a rest, alternating between breaststroke, backstroke and front crawl when I was in the pool, and doing a run here and there to keep my stamina up. I felt the nerves set in as the big day approached, worried how my shoulder would fare during the 4-mile swim.  

A scenic start 

Before I knew it, event day was here! I fuelled myself with porridge and bananas; nervous but raring to go. Reps from Aspire and Swimquest took myself and the other Arun challengers to the start of the swim at the jetty of The Black Rabbit pub, not far from Arundel’s beautiful wetland reserve.  

Eleven swimmers in total, we were placed in groups according to how fast we can swim, and given colour-coded swim caps. It takes me 28 minutes to swim 1km, so I was put in the middle group. The ‘not-so-fast’ group began first, then my ‘sort-of-fast’ group next, followed lastly by the ‘fast’ group.  

The swim guides and support crew were all set to follow alongside us in canoes and kayaks, armed with bottles of water and jelly babies to keep us going. 

The start of the swim was as relaxed as can possibly be for a swimming event; each of us getting in the water at our own pace, our minds ‘in the zone’ for the swim ahead.  

We got in the water at 3pm, perfectly timed with the rising tide on the Arun. The tidal flow of the river upstream felt fast and helpful, boosting my confidence that I could definitely do this. Strangely, while the flow of the tide was upstream, leaves and other debris were still carried on the current downstream. This made for interesting stretches, navigating clumps of twigs and extracting seaweed from my tow float! 

Watchful guides 

All in all it was a beautiful swim, passing reeded banks and Sussex woodland, under stone bridges and cloud-heavy skies. Owing to how spread out we were along the river, I felt that it was very much my own swim, at my own pace, yet I knew I was in constant view of the support crew, ready to pass me a jelly baby when I felt the need for it.  

My shoulder felt surprisingly fine, even in the final stretch, and I was glad of the wetsuit because I began to feel the cold towards the end. I was undeniably exhausted when I got to the finish point; even feeling a wave of nausea as I transitioned from the water to dry land. I was handed a bottle of water and soon felt fine again after a little rest.  

From the riverbank it was then a short plod to a nearby country pub – my pre-ordered dinner and pint of ale a tantalising mirage in the distance. I don’t think a pint has ever gone down so well.  

Want to do the Arun Swim next year? 

The next River Arun Swim with Aspire takes place September 2025 (date tbc). It is a 4-mile tidally assisted swim that takes roughly two hours to complete. Each entrant receives a swim cap and pre-swim hot drinks. The registration fee is £25, plus a fundraising target of £250. All proceeds go to Aspire – a charity that supports people with Spinal Cord Injury to live full, independent lives. Find out more at aspire.org.uk

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German journalist and swimmer Anita Horn took on the epic challenge in difficult conditions

I nearly abandoned UltraSwim 33.3 in Montenegro before I even got there. I had been anxiously checking the weather forecasts and could see storms rolling in. But then I didn’t want to sit at home and see pictures of swimming heroes. So I went. And the storm came too, just as predicted.

The plan, as with all UltraSwim 33.3 events, was to swim 33.3km over 4 days. This has been achieved at every event so far but could the organisers deliver again with the conditions we were facing?

No swimming was possible on the first morning. We had to wait and listen to the wind and waves. Eventually, we got the call to go and nervously boarded the small transport boats to the start on the opposite side of the bay, which offered some shelter. It was a relief to start swimming. We passed two shipwrecks and a small lighthouse through deep, clear water with a temperature of around 21 degrees. A strong current carried us and we finished the first 5.1km surprisingly quickly on a beautiful, small beach in a quiet bay with wonderfully turquoise water. The sun came out and everyone was happy. Now I was in swimming mode and wanted more.

The Adriatic fights back

The next day, Saturday, we had two swims of 4.1 and 6.1km. The first swim took us into the open sea for the first time around a small island with a monastery. Conditions were rough and we had a counter-current to contend with. Then, on our break, it started to rain heavily. But we were going to get wet anyway. So back into the water we went.

It quickly became dark and very rough. Waves crashed into the cliffs, bounced back and pulled me from the left to the right. Someone was seasick. The current was strong and against me. The field spread out. No other swimmers to be seen. I felt a bit alone but there was a safety kayaker and I asked if he could stay with me for a while. “Don’t worry,” he said. A good feeling.

I struggled on and prevailed. Day 2 done and 15.3km in total. I was exhausted and we hadn’t yet covered half the distance. I wanted to eat and rest.

But eating was difficult. My stomach didn’t really want to refuel after the exertion. And sleeping wasn’t so easy either because I was far too excited about the planned 10km marathon swim the next day, and what the weather might do.

The big 10k

The alarm went off at 4:55. Breakfast was at 5:30. We were on the boat by 6:30 and I was a nervous wreck. I called my coach and he pushed me. “Just swim”, he said. You can do it.

We went out by boat, the storm clouds were still visible but went the other way and we jumped into the Adriatic. The sea was rough and unimpressed by nearly 200 swimmers from all over the world. Challenge accepted.

Between the first and the second feeding station on the boat, I learned what open water swimming means. The sea pushed, pulled, shoved and catapulted us, up and down, left to right. The waves were high, the current was enormous and we could hardly move from one spot for ages. There was no speed. It was a case of laborious forward movement with a lot of muscle power and extreme mental effort. I was close to despair. But somehow we made progress.

Don’t fight the sea

Every metre was an achievement. As soon as I stopped for a moment to rest and look around if I could see another swimmer, the current immediately pushed me back again. So I kept working. At some point I saw two other swimmers – one tried to go further away from the cliffs, one stayed closer to land. I was somewhere in between. A kayaker encouraged me: “Go on, you can do it!” I didn’t have much other choice anyway. This was hard, but epic.

At least I reached the second refreshment station. A moment of calm. It was in a bay, protected from the wild open sea. I clung to the boat ladder and did the maths: my watch showed 7.7km. But the station should have been at 6.6. Almost three hours on the clock. Cut-off after 5 hours. Under these conditions and with the fatigue, I would probably not manage another 3.4km in two hours. I wanted to stop. My battery was almost empty. My goggles full of tears.

Then someone from the crew called me over and said: “Let’s talk”. It was Andy Donaldson, the world record holder of the Oceans Seven, and UltraSwim 33.3 ambassador. He said: “You can’t change the conditions out there, but you can change how you deal with them.”

I nodded, but I didn’t start swimming again until another swimmer agreed to accompany me for a bit. “Go your pace. I’ll stay with you.” A swimming angel – thank you both!

We went back and faced the sea. Somehow, I was now prepared for anything. I said to myself: “The sea doesn’t want anything from you. Don’t fight it, use your strength. Just keep swimming – the finish line will be there soon.”

And it was! After 50 minutes of hard work, a kayaker told me I was nearly there. I couldn’t believe it! My 7.7km on the clock was right after all! I turned on the turbo again when I saw the pink finish arch. I had really done it! After four hours and unbelievable mental images, I swam through the finish crying and smiling at the same time. I had just achieved something that I had neither expected nor thought possible. Marathon swimming in the sea. In the end, it was 10.6km. Wow!

More to do

But the swimming wasn’t over for the day. Towards the afternoon the sky cleared. The boats took us to Mamula Island for lunch and our next swim: three 800m laps around the island, so 2.4km to go. The sun came out. The sea was still rough. But it was beautiful and I felt strong, happy and proud. I am really doing the English Channel distance – step by step.

That evening, I sat by the hotel pool and contemplated what I’d achieved. 28.3km done. I was tired and excited at the same time. Inside, I felt better than ever before. I’d exceeded my expectations that day and learned a lot. About myself. And the sea. But a few training sessions in the sea beforehand would certainly not have been a bad idea!

The final day

The last day was going to be tough, too. This time we weren’t expecting extreme weather. But we were going to have to cross a channel. Our route took us from the coast of Croatia through the straits back to Montenegro and then a bit along the coast, a total of 4.8km. We sailed across in boats and jumped into the sea at sunrise.

This time the current wanted to sweep us out of the bay into the open sea. I kept swimming left while the ocean pulled me right. Now I knew how to handle that and felt strong. I enjoyed the swimming, even though it was hard.

Then finally, around the buoy, into the protective bay and salvation, the current carried us along again like on day one. What a pleasure! Sunshine. Crystal clear water. Calm, long strokes over schools of fish and red starfish. Once into the submarine tunnel – with an audience on the shore. Brilliant! Then on, the last bend into our destination bay. A concentrated load of happiness ran through me.

Hugs. Cheers. Tears. Jumps for joy. Cheering on all the other finishers after me. Something to eat and drink. And then one last time on the boat, over to the last start and 200 meters with the whole team. What an incredible feeling! The last strokes of 33.3km. 13.5 hours of swimming, with all the adversities and doubts you can have. My thoughts went to my family, who I would have loved to have been there. And then there was a medal, champagne and unstoppable tears. I did it!

I wasn’t the only one sobbing. On the boat, we hugged each other in relief and disbelief and asked ourselves if all that had really happened. It was like a film. A crazy thriller that ended well. At no point did I feel alone or unsafe (thanks again to the kayakers and the whole team around Mark Turner and our race director and everybody out there for their constant observation), but I was alone with my thoughts and at times they were very loud and uncomfortable. Even more epic I finished the 33.3 which will be part of the rest of my life and symbolized by a new tattoo on my right arm soon.

(You can follow Anita’s swimming adventures via Instagram @ahornzeit.)

All images (c) Lloyd Images / UltraSwim 33.3

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Minreet Kaur reports back from her first open water mile at Swim Serpentine – a real milestone that has given her the boost to train more and get stronger

Who would have thought that someone who hated swimming just did their first mile open water swim at Swim Serpentine! Well I did and I feel so proud of myself because it certainly wasn’t easy.

The lead up to the big day has been intense as I’m an unpaid carer to my mum and training hasn’t always been possible. My mum was also my swimming buddy and we were meant to swim it together. She has myeloma, a rare blood cancer, so she couldn’t do it this year.

It definitely felt hard when I was swimming but with faith and a mind over matter attitude, I did it. I came last in the one mile group, which made it even more of a memorable moment. What a place to be that person! The amount of support I had along the way and at the finishing line made me feel so good, especially as I achieved something that not many of my community do. I met a volunteer at the end who said: “Well done for representing the sisters as there aren’t many here who look like us.” It really touched me. Even though this year 20 Muslim women from the charity Cycle Sisters took part, who I wish I had seen, it still isn’t enough.

I hardly slept the night before. All I could think of was how cold the water would be and what if I needed to wee once I’d left home and was already in my wetsuit. It takes so much energy to get it on in the first place!

That morning I rolled out of bed at 6.30am. Mum brought me a turmeric shot followed by a nice masala chai. I was so nervous and my stomach was churning.

As soon as I got to the Serpentine, the atmosphere and the sun gave me a spring in my step. Near the start I met a couple of guys who were doing the six mile swim and they kindly helped me with getting my timing chip and wrist band on.

As soon as I got to the area where everyone was getting ready to swim I started to feel really nervous; my stomach was making funny noises. As I got closer and I started to see people entering the water, I quickly went to one side as I wanted to go in super slow. The photo captured definitely doesn’t show what I was feeling inside, which was “shall I turn back now?”

I swam head-up breaststroke and I could feel swimmers passing me by, including those swimming two miles, but I kept on going.

I have to say it was tough. I kept thinking: don’t swallow any water, stay to one side, breath and keep going. There were times I wanted to give up. This swim felt so much harder than Dorney Lake and Henley. My back was hurting, my socks were filling up with water. It was intense and this is only 20 minutes in. I thought I’d be done in 45 minutes but I felt like I just wasn’t moving!

I felt tired half way through and I just couldn’t see light at the end of the tunnel. Plus, sometimes it felt quite isolating as I was at the back. I remember one swimmer asked if I was ok and I said “I think so but I keep getting knocked or kicked by the fast swimmers”. He said: “Don’t worry, kick them back, it’s your swim. Enjoy it and keep going, you’re doing great.” This made me laugh, water ended up in my mouth!

Towards the end I thought I have to try swimming with my face under the water and so I did and it wasn’t easy like it is in swimming pool. I felt dizzy when walking out and I was exhausted. I eventually saw my mum and she said: “I was worried about you; I went to ask the volunteer to look for you!”

As I walked out, there was hot Ribena and then I got my medal, presented to me by a friend, Hardev, who was volunteering on the day. It was a special moment and I felt really emotional as I couldn’t believe I did it.

The experience was amazing it felt like a real milestone. It’s an achievement that will stay with me. My parents were so proud. The medal was for my mum. I hope by next year, she will be feeling on top of the world so we can swim together!

This swim has given me the boost to train more and get stronger. I know if I could swim with my face underwater, I wouldn’t put the weight on my back as I did.

Doing something that you feel scared of and overcoming it is a big deal. I did something I thought I never could and I hope to encourage more from the Asian community to give it a go, it’s life changing!

Find out more about Swim Serpentine: swimserpentine.co.uk

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Author Matt Newbury tells us about the Agatha Christie Sea Swim – a swim with “an old fashioned vibe” that he co-founded with Sophie Pierce in 2010

The Agatha Christie Sea Swim was created by my good friend Sophie Pierce and myself back in 2010, as Torbay’s first ever mass participation swimming event. We never thought it would still be going all these years later, but at the start of September around 300 people took part in the one-mile swim between Broadsands Beach and Goodrington South. It heralded the start of the Agatha Christie Festival 2024 and is very much a celebration of the author’s love of sea swimming.

Each year, we alternate the swim between two of Agatha’s favourite beaches. One swim leaves from Beacon Cove, which is where Agatha first learnt to swim and takes people around to Meadfoot Sands, passing under London bridge Arch and past Thunder Hole, where it was once thought the devil lived. Back when Agatha was very young and in the times of segregated beaches, Beacon Cove was the ladies bathing place, while Meadfoot became one of the first places to allow mixed bathing.

This year’s route starts really close to Elberry Cove, where the body of the third victim, Sir Carmichael Clarke, was discovered in the ABC Murders. Agatha Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard shared with me that Elberry and Broadsands were favourite swim spots for Agatha and himself when they were staying at nearby Greenway for the summer holidays. The swim route takes people past Armchair Rock and an area known as Three Beaches, which is incredibly picturesque for swimmers.

The swim is a really lovely event with a good old-fashioned feel. I love the fact that people train all summer to take part in it and we always have a group of participants from Healthscape CIC, who use swimming and other outdoor activities to enhance people’s mental health and wellbeing. This year we also had a group of women called the Butterfly Club who had been training to do as much of the swim as possible using the butterfly stroke.

With sea swimming enjoying such a renaissance, it’s fantastic to be able to connected it back to the late Victorian, early Edwardian times of Agatha’s youth. In our book, Wild Swimming Torbay, Sophie and myself look into the early history of swimming, while also exploring this beautiful Bay. I particularly love the story of Tack Collins, who rowed out to Saddle Rock with a bucket of cement to create a diving platform to train for the 1908 Olympics. As one of the oldest competitors, he came last, but it’s a wonderful Eddie the Eagle Edwards-type of story.

Agatha Christie talks about sea swimming throughout her autobiography and shared some really amusing anecdotes. Royal Torbay Yacht Club is situated above the former ladies’ bathing cove and while members couldn’t see the beach itself and the old-fashioned bathing machines, they could see the swim platform. Agatha’s father, who was a member of the club, said that lots of the men would use their opera glasses to try and catch a glimpse of the women swimming in what they hopefully thought of as a state of almost nudity. “I don’t think we can have been very appealing in those shapeless garments,” Agatha recalls.

This year’s swim was a tad stressful in the days leading up to it, with an easterly wind forecast, which would have made the route impossible. Heavy rains a few days before also triggered a pollution alert. Fortunately, the wind direction shifted and we had two full tide rotations without any rain at all, making the swim able to go ahead at the last minute. The lovely smiling faces of participants and the joyful feedback made it all worthwhile.

What surprises people is how adventurous Agatha Christie was. She enjoyed horse riding, roller skating, skiing and, famously, travelling. When she was in South Africa she learnt to surf, and when travelling home via Hawaii, became one of the first westerners to ever try stand-up surfing. But it was swimming that she enjoyed right throughout her life.

In the final poignant epilogue to her autobiography, she describes swimming in the sea in Torbay with her daughter Rosalind as one of her greatest memories. She also mourns certain pleasures she could no longer enjoy in her final years: “Long walks are off, and, alas, bathing in the sea; filet steaks and apples and raw blackberries (teeth difficulties) and reading fine print.”

Images by Appleton Event Photography

The Agatha Christie Festival takes place right across the author’s home town of Torquay and the rest of the Bay every September. To find out more visit agathachristiefestival.com

Matt Newbury and Sophie Pierce are the author’s of ‘Wild Swimming Torbay’, which is available (alongside their other books) at wildthingspublishing.com

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‘Postcards From Midlife’ co-host Lorraine Candy joined her tribe of middle-aged women to take on the epic 15km Scilly Swim Challenge – and a voyage of self-discovery

Nervously standing on the edge of the white sandy bay at Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s I had one phrase rolling around in my mind: ‘eat the elephant’. That’s what I was here to do on this 15km sea swim over two days. I just had to take one small bite at a time from the giant elephant of a swim in front of me. Or ‘go stroke by stroke’ as I told myself when the 150-strong crowd headed gingerly into the Caribbean-blue waters of the Scilly Isles for swim number one of six.

The September air temperature felt warm in my wetsuit but the crystal-clear water was 15 degrees Celsius and a north westerly wind was whipping up an impressive chop and swell. The sun was trying to poke through and cheer us on but I’m convinced I heard the seagulls overhead laughing, they knew that something unexpected was lurking in the sea to greet us later.

My journey to the 20-year-old Scilly Swim Challenge has been as much of an adventure as the swim itself. Standing alongside everyone on the beaches of Scilly was affirmation for me I wasn’t alone in this need to step out of my daily comfort zone, I was with my tribe: a group of mostly middle-aged women on a tricky voyage of self-discovery at a time in life packed with momentous transitions and unexpected events, not least the rollercoaster of menopause and perimenopause. Here we were, using our swims to find braver parts of us to cope with the new midlife challenges: empty nest, caring for elderly parents, grieving lost friends, cancer, divorce, redundancies and wrestling with new identities as our minds and bodies change.

Outdoor swimming had saved me when I unravelled physically and mentally during my perimenopause, which is when your hormones fluctuate 10 years or so ahead of menopause (a year after your last period).

A champion sleeper, I had suddenly became insomniac at 47, suffering night terrors. I was losing my mind, and feared I had a brain tumour the day I couldn’t remember which side of the road to drive on. After seeking specialist help, I found out it was a lack of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone that were causing my symptoms and within a week of going on Hormone Replacement Therapy I was back in the room. I knew so little of what I was going through I wrote a book about it to help other women get the right support: What’s Wrong With Me: from unravelling to reinvention a midlife memoir.

Through it all my newfound love of the cold water held me together. I learnt front crawl in my late 40s so I could take part in events and completed a few mini-triathlons as well as the Bantham Swoosh, the Henley mile and a 30 hour 6-person relay across Lake Geneva which is governed by Channel swim rules, I was proud to qualify. More importantly, beside the lakes, lidos and seas I had found a group of same-age women quietly completing extraordinary swimming quests, all of us recognising that this sport was kind to our bodies as they aged.

In fact, a 2022 survey by UCL found that the average age of female cold-water swimmers was 49, with 66 per cent preferring the sea. The Scilly Swim Challenge started in 2014 and is now run by SwimQuest holidays, who tell me the majority of those booking holidays now are middle-aged women and they were in the majority taking on the challenge, which I think even experienced Ironmen competitors would find hard.

Yet most of us midlife swimmers would never fit that traditional description of the word athlete. A glance across the bay at St Mary’s would tell you female outdoor swimmers proudly come in all shapes and sizes. I’m a busy London-based 56-year-old mum of four kids aged 13 to 22, I’m never in the fast lane at the pool and I rarely do the kind of cardio exercise you’d associate with athletic goals. But one thing we all know as midlife women is that we can do hard things, so we are particularly suited to endurance endeavours. We’ll match any record-breaking athlete when it comes to mindset as I found out 5km into day one’s second swim.

We’d already battled relentless wind on the first 2.5km swim and SwimQuest changed all six of our routes due to safety concerns. The notorious 6km came next. I’d been dreading this swim as I’ve never swum over 4km and the number six occupied a huge amount of my training fears. It was all my swim buddy, jewellery designer Claudia Bradby, 55, and I could think of us we trained together for the Scilly challenge.

I call Claudia ‘Pollyanna Positivity’ for her extreme optimism but even she went suspiciously quiet as we entered the water for that 6km. We knew the impressive kayak crew and safety boats were on hand if we wanted to get out, but neither of us was ever going to get out. Unless we were taken by a shark, we’d keep going. But 800m off St Mary’s Pellistry beach finish line everything changed. The green pod was hit by what I now know is called a ‘smack’ of jellyfish, something that has never happened before on this swim.

I watched the hero skins swimmers dealing with multiple stings and I was stung on my face, wrist, feet and ankles. Within minutes the kayaks had us on safety boats and the beach paramedics checked us all over. I was furious. Unbelievably I had been loving every minute of that dreaded long swim. It was a gloriously tough but soul nourishing experience that I will never forget. I’d looked at my watch 90 minutes in and felt teary at the joy of my accomplishment. All the negativity I had felt about my lack of technique and speed dissolved and I realised the only way for me from here was to get better and better at the thing I most enjoyed doing.

It brought home the importance of something former Olympian and sports scientist Greg Whyte OBE told me when I asked for advice the week before. How can a slow swimmer in her fifties, with limited time, ever imagine she would be good enough for this? A question I note many women ask as they often doubt their abilities and play down their skill set (an attitude rarer in some male swimmers who often do the opposite!).

Greg’s speciality is getting ordinary people through extraordinary sporting experiences, and he told me to focus on the process not the outcome. Swimming events like this are not about time, or distance, indeed SwimQuest are at pains to point out this is not a race, no times are recorded. It’s about the quality of your experience. He said that when you hit those moments where you may feel you won’t make it bring your focus back to the process, it’s one arm in front of the other and if you know you’ve done the training then that will keep you moving forward.

On day two of the swim a few people decided to drop out or not do all four swims, but the majority of the three swim pods adventured on. The weather changed the routes yet again, but we felt like a merry gang of jolly musketeers, trooping to the water’s edge with words of encouragement. The most important advice Greg gave me was ringing in my ears; it’s never about how you swim, it’s about who you swim with. I couldn’t have done this without ‘Pollyanna positivity’ aka Claudia smiling at the shore beside me or the camaraderie of my fellow midlife women in the Scilly Sea alongside me or the friends who sent supportive messages and made me ‘you’ve got this’ meditation tapes.

You are who you swim with and that’s a mantra I will take into the next challenge.

Lorraine Candy’s tips for taking part in the Scilly Swim

• Find a squad or group to swim with in the sea in all conditions. This is most vital thing to do – you must be able to swim in the rough sea for up to two hours.
• Swim skins at 15 degrees regularly even if wearing a wetsuit on the day. We swam at Dover too which I recommend.
• I swam three times a week from April to August. One pool speed swim, one outdoor distance swim, one for-the-love- of-swimming swim. I also went on a SwimQuest technique week in Greece where I had my stroke analysed and practised in the pool later.
• I did one gym weight training session a week, ad hoc stretching for swimmers on YouTube and walked regularly.
• Practise getting in and out of outdoor swims and walking with your kit.
• Don’t over think the food element: Claudia made chia seed energy balls, I packed Mars bars, it’s what suits you so practise. The Scilly Swim sandwiches you pre-order are great. Jelly babies are a must for salty mouths.
• Don’t suffer ‘death by data’: watches are great but try a few training swims without them to get the feel of your speed
• Your subconscious is a powerful thing so stop the negative self-talk. I put notes saying ‘you are a finisher’ around the house.
• Stay in touch with the ‘why’ eg why or who you are doing this for. Keep coming back to that when you wobble.
• Pick the right pod: I chose the slowest pod as I am 2.5k an hour.
• Try a mass start beforehand: this was my least favourite bit so get used to swimming in a pod if you don’t normally.
• Remember the tide is with you so some moments feel super speedy!
• Expect the unexpected: you probably won’t get jellyfish, but you will get last minute route changes.

Getting there – Book your place via SwimQuest: we did the 2-day swim but there are other Scilly events. 2025 events go on sale on 7 Nov 2024). Fly to the Scilly Isles with Sky Bus or get the Scillonian passenger ferry from Penzance.

We stayed at The Star Castle Hotel on St Marys.

Follow Lorraine Candy on Insta @lorrainecandy or listen to her talk through the swim on the podcast she co-hosts, Postcards From Midlife

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