Readers' Swims

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

Taming the Hudson – the 20 Bridges Swim, New York

Diego Cantillo reflects on swimming around Manhattan and how he “provoked the god of the waters” to complete the 20…
From nervous swimmer to 70.3 World Champion, at age 70

Linda Spillane shares her story of how, starting from only being able to swim two lengths of her local pool,…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – A year in open water from lochs, orca trails and sea pools to the stacks of St Kilda

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – less skipping and more colour

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Diary of a temporarily not-so wandering swimmer – how to swim 8m in 15 minutes

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – a weekend of clarity

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – Swimming in the shadow of a famous castle

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

On 28 of July 2019, I competed in the 65th Magnetic Island to Townsville swim race, a tropical North Queensland…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – moon channel

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Diary of a Wandering Swimmer – discovering neuks and crannies

Kate Gillwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
Swimming Loch Tay for their local community

Loch Tay is a 23km long body of fresh water in the central highlands of Scotland. Rarely more than a…
Diary of a wandering swimmer – swimming in a spot I cannot name

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

Ricardo Jardim invites us to swim in the (usually) calm and warm waters off the coast of Madeira island My…
My Swim Story – Angela Barnes

Swimming outdoors helped comedian Angela Barnes combat her mental health issues We did have swimming lessons at school, but as…
Team Vigour

Caroline Connor, proud Team Vigour member, celebrates her clubmates’ achievements this year Team Vigour is based in Glasgow and we…
Sparth Reservoir

Fiona Weir led the campaign to have ‘No Swimming’ signs replaced at Sparth Reservoir Sparth Reservoir is a small body…
Wild swimming spot – Queens Beach North, Scarborough, Australia

Clear water and turtles make Queens Beach North Mark Otter’s favourite swim spot. Just don’t mention the jet skiers… My…
Wild swim spot – Denham Waterski Club

Crayfish and grebes are just two of the attractions at Denham Waterski Club – along with hot chocolate and post-swim…
My Swim Story – Katherine Short

Outdoor swimming has been life-changing for Katherine Short I haven’t always been a swimmer but I have always loved the…
Clear water, abandoned submarines and pink footed geese

Kate Greenwood was born in Galashiels, Scotland, raised from three years old in Yorkshire, found herself in London for 30…
My Swim Story – Corinna Nolan

Not content with completing an Ironman triathlon, Corinna Nolan became Ireland’s first Ice Ironwoman by also swimming an Ice Mile…
The Wild West Swimmers

The Wild West Swimmers had fun and raised money for charity in their inaugural ten loch adventure. By Greg Hincks…
My Swim Story – Jo Lockhart

If you’re going to do it, do it with style. Jo Lockhart waited until she was on the world stage…
Hellespont: a challenging but achievable iconic swim for your average swimmer

Outdoor Swimmer reader Robin Fry shares his experience of preparing for and completing the Hellespont Swim along with his top…
My Swim Story – Christopher Smith

Ten years ago Christopher Smith couldn’t swim. He is now a qualified sports therapist and plans to swim the Solent…