Readers' Swims

Immerse yourself in fellow swimmers' personal narratives, sharing their swimming stories and memorable experiences.

I loved every single stroke – Part 1

Back in November 2012 I started doing some additional training for an 800m time trial, which I managed to do…
John Wheaton’s failure to sight properly at the Emerald City open water swim

“Where’s the turn buoy?” one of my fellow swimmers asked. We were treading water, waiting for the start gun at…
David Coleman – two-way Windermere

This was a swim that was not meant to happen this year. I had planned to swim from Jersey to…
A dog ate my clothes, Officer

Dogs eating books has been a standard excuse for students ever since homework was invented, but how about dogs eating…
How I became a Scilly girl

Lou Walker took part in the first-ever 15k Scilly Swim Challenge in September 2014 – and she’d whole-heartedly recommend it,…
How Rhona McGregor overcame her fears and fell in love with open water

‘Open water swimming! Are you mad?’ Well, that’s what people say when you tell them you spend your Sunday mornings…
Train for the worst and hope for the best – it might happen

Garry Seghers took part in an English Channel relay this summer for Diabetes UK. He shares his experience here. A…
From beginner to Robben Island swimmer in four months

Neither John Gunn nor John Paul Matthews (JP) had much open water experience. In fact, four months ago they were…
Beating the tide, just. Janine Serell reports on her Manhattan to Sandy Hook swim

Janine Serell was the twelfth and final person to finish this year’s 17.5 mile swim from Manhattan to Sandy Hook,…
Annual German Open Water Championships

On 3 July, Adam Warner (24) travelled to Hamburg in Germany to take part in the German open water championships.…
Sabrina Wiedmer swims the North Channel

Fergal Sommerville, who completed a fantastic early season North Channel swim in 2013, was delighted to have the opportunity to…
Fit to fat to fit again – Ed Williams recounts his swimming journey to the North Channel

Ed Williams is a swimming teacher based in Cambridge and an extreme marathon swimmer. He’s aiming to take on one…
Cliona Saidlear: The Bonus Swim

Cliona Saidlear is taken on a delightful and inspiring swim by two SwimTrek guides – on their day off! Even…
Mad Cows come home

On Sunday morning the Cumbrian Open Water Swimmers (COWS), definitely mad, arrived back home, after completing the challenge of swimming…
Nevis to St Kitts: one width breaststroke

Different swimmers can have very different experiences of the same swim. Last week we heard from Liz Torode, who came…
The anatomy of a 12-hour pool swim

Swimming 12 hours non-stop in a 50m chlorinated outdoor pool is not for the faint-hearted. And I’m not alluding to…
Holidaying with Olympians

After deciding to go on holiday to France and northern Spain, I started to look for a swim event I…
Masters Open Water Swimming on the World Stage – Kazan 2015

After winning the 30-34 Age Group at the ASA National Open Water Masters at the beginning of August, Pip Bennett…
Henley Bridge to Bridge

I must admit, when I signed up for Bridge to Bridge it was as a reluctant team member of team…
Raising the bar

Until two years ago I had never done any open water swimming. Yes, I’d swum in the pool, played water…
Swimming with Angels

Standing on the shores of Playa Tamarindo under a nearly full moon on the island of Culebra, I was looking…
Wild swimming for beginners!

Last summer I made it my mission to swim in the lakes of the Lake District. There are 16 according…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – a bit Wuthering Heights

It feels like ages since I have shared a swim. It’s not that I haven’t been swimming. On the contrary,…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – Clova returns

Kate Gillwood enjoys her release from lockdown with a campervan trip, exploring a new swim spot and meeting up with…
Diary of a Wandering Swimmer – an urban gem behind a sea wall

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…