Inspiring us this month: Amr Wolf

In our new series, we will be featuring swimmers and personalities who have inspired us by simply being themselves. This month, Amr Wolf caught our attention. By Ella Foote.

Some people capture your attention by just being authentically themselves. Amr Wolf is one of those. You may recognise him from his posts on social media. He regularly posts profound and simple thoughts, along with beautiful images of his personal adventures. Despite a busy life as a dad and with a full-time job as an engineer, Amr makes time daily to immerse himself in the wild and if all else fails he has a barrel in the garden, or a cold shower! What I love most is the tales he shares of meeting other people in the outdoors. How he gently encourages strangers to swim in cold water or makes friends beside a fire he has made. 

“I have always loved being outdoors,” says Amr. “I was a swimmer professionally for 20 years, I had a whole career in Egypt. But after a period of depression, the pandemic and all the lockdowns I decided to follow the Wim Hof method of submerging yourself in cold water daily. I love to go out, discover, practice some bushcraft and at the same time wild swim. I love waterfalls, lakes, rivers – everywhere really!”

Amr is lucky enough to live in South Wales, which isn’t short of fantastic places to swim. He decided to post on social media as a way of being accountable. “It is also a great way to motivate others,” he says. “Getting outdoors is a great way of removing the stress of living. There is no break in our responsibilities, but we are not made for that. We work to sustain a living, but it is in our hands to enjoy nature and get outside in the woods, not spending all day at a desk.”  Amr’s adventures vary from a short walk to a longer drive, often on his own. “I prefer my own company. I know it comes with a risk and I accept that, we are adults and make our own decisions. I get up and head out at 4.30am or 5am so I can have that time to myself and be back home for my family when they wake up.”

Making friends by sharing your experiences

Amr is open about his experiences and feelings as he explores. If his mood is high we can see it in how and what he posts, but if he is struggling he isn’t afraid to share that either. “I love what I do,” he says. “If I am feeling down, being in the house is worse because you are surrounded by walls and it doesn’t feel nice. When I go out, I never regret it and I always feel better. It is important to talk about what’s going on, if you keep it inside, it grows and gets worse – what is the point of that?” It isn’t uncommon to see people sharing more about their lives online in our modern world, but it is still surprising to see men share in such a vulnerable way. “I have made friends by sharing my experiences. Getting outdoors, it is in our DNA, I figured out a lot just by doing.”

While Amr is disciplined in getting up early and out every day, he doesn’t always know where he is going or what he will do. “I plan and make choices based on the weather and where I am,” says Amr. “Sometimes I might want to head to a waterfall, but if it has been raining for a few days then the falls will be too strong, so I must adapt and find somewhere nearby or upstream. I find most of the places by using a map and seeking places away from popular spots. I don’t like to go to the same places everyone else goes to. I want to be alone. I want to listen to the wind, hear the birds and take it all in. I reset myself.”

A love for inland water

Despite not being far from the sea, Amr prefers inland water. “The sea can be dangerous and I have done lots of swimming in the sea for competition. I have done that, so it isn’t where I choose to swim regularly.” I assume his favourite season to swim is winter, because of his Wim Hof practice, but like many of us, all seasons for him are swim seasons. “The water is always cold in the UK,” he says. “Even in the summer the rivers and falls are cold here.” I ask what his advice is for living a good life. “Get out in the wild. See the light, listen to nature. It will fix your spirit; your soul and you can just let go.”