Readers' Swims
Immerse yourself in fellow swimmers' personal narratives, sharing their swimming stories and memorable experiences.
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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…
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A Channel swimmer photostory
“Physical preparation for this is key, but mental preparation is paramount”. On 4 September, 16-year-old Prisha Tapre became a Channel…
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Plunging with pride
As Pride Swim returns for its second year and expands to multiple venues across the UK, reader Jem Collins heads…
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“Just get it done”: Barry Murphy attempts his Third Triple Crown in the open water
Ahead of his swim across the Catalina Channel on 12 September, Irishman Barry Murphy tells Isaac Dubey about the incredible…
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Treading water pt4: the final countdown to Abi’s Arun swim!
It's just under two weeks until Abi's 4-mile swim in the River Arun. Here's how her beginner swim training has…
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Marathon swimming or video games?
18-year-old Tyler Sutton chose marathon swimming over video games during the pandemic and ended up swimming the English Channel
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Swimming from Red Sands Forts to the Kent Coast
Whitstable swimmer Dan Brown navigates treacherous currents to become the first person to swim from the Red Sands Forts
