How long have you been swimming? How did you get into it, what you like about it, what motivates you? I started swimming in 2012, when I set myself the challenge to swim the Solent, from Ryde on the Isle of Wight to Portsmouth.   I hadn’t done any swimming since school, other than pottering about on holiday, and by now I was in my fifties, so I set a date for July 2013. Knowing that to get where I needed to be, I would need some serious motivation I selected a charity to raise money for, and in July 2013 me and 3 friends swam for Ryde to Southsea for Motor Neurone Disease. Following that crossing, I decided to make the swim an annual event and launched the Ian Pratt MND Challenge, named in honour of my great friend who sadly lost his battle against MND after such a brave and courageous fight in May 2020.   To date, we have had 257 successful Solent crossings and raised in excess of £200,00 for charity. Check the swim out www.swmmingthesolent4mnd.com . I have personal...

How long have you been swimming? How did you get into it, what you like about it, what motivates you? Well, difficult to say because it would probably be forever. I was born in California where everyone has a pool – yes really – so was in the water from a very early age. I began my triathlon career back in1996. I started to train with a local club, where it became very obvious very quickly that I stood out from the group, at least as a swimmer. Swimming was clearly my strongest discipline and I raced regularly until a skiing accident in 2003 ended it (or so I thought). It wasn’t until 2007 that I really felt strong enough to begin running again. I did the Great North Swim (2 miles) in 2013, at the time the longest outdoor swim I had completed. In 2016 I finally took the plunge and decided to re-dedicate myself to the sport and although I had (I thought) good swim technique I decide to approach a coach and get my swimming looked at properly. What made you go for technique lessons ...

In another in our series of open water swimming blogs, Manchester-based Total Immersion coach Sarah Hill uncovers the truth about the reported benefits of a post-swim Coke. More people have discovered the joys of open water swimming this year than ever before, partly because of the amazing sunny weather but mainly because of the fact that lockdown restrictions have meant that we haven't been able to access pools. Despite the variable water quality of our lakes and rivers, most swimmers will suffer no ill-effects but an unfortunate few will succumb to a post-swim upset stomach; a not uncommon problem for outdoor swimmers.  There are a number of strategies you can  use to reduce your chances of getting a bug: Always check as best you can for up to date water quality information - see our previous blog post for great information on how to do this Avoid getting the water in your mouth as much as possible - this sounds obvious but it's not always easy on a choppy day - rinse out y...

As part of our series of blogs on open water, Total Immersion coach Penny Wilkin gives us the lowdown on how to stay safe as you embark on your next river swimming adventure. By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill Since the lockdown has been lifted I’ve made it a point to check out a wider range of open water and wild swimming spots local to me. In fact, I’m on a mission to swim in a different spot each week - which I’ve named “Wild Swim Wednesdays” Along with some friends from local swimming group Swim and Tonic, I’ve ventured to lots of new swimming spots, most of these have been river dips and, as many more people are swimming in rivers I thought it would be useful to share some of the things we do to keep ourselves safe: Get local knowledge before you swim in a new place - from local people, other swimmers, one of the wild swimming books, a Facebook group, Google and OS maps. Consult water quality resources - see our last blog W ater Quality101 for all you need.  Never swim alone and ...

Salka Hintikka is a Total Immersion Coach in Cumbria and a keen open water swimmer. Her background is in environmental engineering. When not coaching or swimming she works for the Environment Agency.   As swimming pools and many open water swimming venues are still closed, many of us keen swimmers have headed out to find new waters to swim in. This can come with a great sense of adventure and discovery, but also uncertainty about the water quality. Here’s a little “back to basics” on water quality and where to find more information in England. For similar information in Wales or Scotland, please see  Natural Resources Wales  and SEPA . Pollution There are many definitions of pollution, but let’s concentrate here on things that can make swimmers ill. Main culprits in the UK generally would be agricultural runoff and sewage. How does it get to the river? Point Source Pollution Point source pollution is from a pipe, drain or other distinct source that discharges in...

By Penny Wilkin and Sarah Hill It looks as though we might be able to get back in the water in the not too distant future but don’t worry – you won’t have forgotten how to swim! If you’re an experienced swimmer, those thousands of repetitions will have forged their way into your nervous system and you may find that your stroke hasn’t deteriorated much at all whereas the less experienced may need to take some time to re-establish their confidence, good stroke habits and re-develop their feel for the water. It’s tempting to rush back in and go all out to make up for lost time once you hit the water but your aim for your first swim should be simply to enjoy yourself! Don’t even think about missed training, cancelled events or lost technique, just remember how fantastic being in the water feels and allow yourself to relax, de-stress, have fun and just swim! Once you’re swimming more regularly it’s important not to put pressure on yourself to ‘get back to where you were’ in terms of d...