Why you should try open water swimming & how to get started…

It’s coming up to my one year anniversary of open water swimming, which previously appeared high on the list of “Things I’d never do”. Why? You might ask, mainly because swimming is something I didn’t consider enjoyable, I swam plenty as a child but as I grew older my interest subsided entirely.

Yet, there I was, squeezing my far from small frame into a wetsuit, waddling towards the dock and submerging myself into the cold water. Before flapping around like an overexcited duckling, trying to work out what direction to head in.

When it comes to open water swimming, I’m nearly always lapped on the 800m loop, I watch in awe as the triathlete training clubs pass me by. Sometimes I toy with the idea of attempting to keep up, other times I relax, enjoy the surroundings and focus on whatever comes to mind. I suppose what I really want people to know, is that open water swimming doesn’t have to be competitive. It can be whatever you want it to be, an adventure, training, a workout, a social catch up or a personal challenge.

I’ve recently found myself trying to challenge the concept that we need to take part in sport to look a certain way or to compete, what about working out because we simply enjoy it? Every time I mention open water swimming to a friend I hear “But I’m not a very good swimmer” to which I reply “I swim breaststroke and I literally move around the lake at a pace of a water Lily”. It doesn’t matter, because I’m taking part and enjoying myself in the process.

You might be thinking, well this sounds great but where can I go swimming locally to me? I’ve tracked down this helpful guide to locations across the UK – Here

If you’re looking for the wetsuit or swimsuit, I’d firmly recommend Simply Swim and I’ve written about how beneficial swimming is to my mental health – Here

I honestly think that making swimming part of my routine has made such a huge difference and opened so many doors, I’d love for more people to take part. So, if you find yourself urmming and ahhhing about the prospect of trying open water swimming, drop me a line and I’ll be your online cheerleader!

Katie

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