September 2025 ‘Long Distance Swimming’
Outdoor Swimmer Extra: Get the best of Outdoor Swimmer magazine online.
I am in awe of long-distance swimmers. It isn’t just the impressive distance they achieve, but the mental capacity and dedication to their goals. I can see the appeal of a long swim, often looking out across a body of water and wondering, could I swim that?
I have a fair few long swims on my swim-CV, but I have never crossed a significant Channel solo or the length of a really long lake! I like the idea of a big swim, often having one in the diary to swim towards, but the reality of a especially long swim is very different to the idea of it. You need time, often budget, and you need the mental capacity to focus on the goal and doing the work before you even start the swim itself. Even then, you could have trained, planned, prepared and got all the support you need for a freak weather event to end the swim even though you could have done it physically.
In this month’s issue we celebrate the long-distance swimmer – as this year marks the 150th anniversary of Captain Matthew Webb’s historic English Channel swim. Since then, many more swimmers have completed the challenge and even more have tried but not made it across. What makes a swimmer want to take on such a task? What kind of training is required? Could you do similar?
What Channel swimming has done for our sport is open our minds of what is possible. Every year a new swimmer will take on a new swim. They will deal with conditions, test their mental and physical strength, encounter wildlife and many other things out of their control. Time and time again swimmers subject themselves to jellyfish, pollution, physical pain and discomfort – why?
Dive into the issue and be prepared to be inspired or nudged into a big swim, too. Read about world-changing swims, personal goals, sacrifice and pure courage. We have everything from swim distance firsts, records and relay crossings.
Not ready to swim out of your comfort zone? Not to worry, our usual entertaining and educational content will still inspire. Learn how to sit back and get seasonal this autumn in our wild and recreation pages, understand how to fuel yourself for longer swims and get ready for cooler water on our gear pages.
Enjoy this month’s issue!
Ella Foote, Editor
Sign up or log in to read Outdoor Swimmer Extra.
Read the September 2025 issue in full in flipbook format
Read the Events Guide 2025 in flipbook format
Existing print subscribers have free access to the digital edition of Outdoor Swimmer on PocketMags. This includes all the content from Outdoor Swimmer Extra. See here for access instructions.
- Ricky Holmes’ English Channel relay
Bluetit swimmers are now taking on the Channel in relay crossings. One swimmer, Ricky Holmes, shares his story and how he came to dive into the English Channel. - Swimming laid bare
What’s it like to take part in a swimming event with nothing but your bare skin? British Naturism’s writer Dugie Eyton-Hughes reports - Floating without fear
Actress, author and filmmaker Cat White has launched her most recent project, Swim Sistas, her first documentary that explores of women in water, weaving their stories into a celebration of joy, heritage and the power of simply being. - Care for wetsuit zips and changing robe zips
“Clean your zips!” say Ceri Belshaw and Rosanna Watson from Snowdonia Gear Repair, who have advice for looking after your wetsuit and changing robe zips - The campaigning mermaid: Lindsey Cole
This month, ‘mermaid’ Lindsey Cole is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for longest distance swum using a mono fin as part of her ongoing campaign for cleaner waterways - Weekend swim retreat: Plas Weunydd, Eryri
Ella Foote shares her experience of Plas Weunydd, Eryri (Snowdonia) where she met up with local wild swimming guide Vivienne Rickman - Go wild, go west: Bantham Mini-Swoosh
Rebecca Hilton headed to Level Water’s Bantham Mini-Swoosh with her 12-year-old daughter – find out how they got on - Why going long and slow is good for your health
Long distance swimming is one of the best ways to build not just stamina in the water, but a foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing, says Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi. - The power of seaweed
Nutritious and nourishing, seaweed offers particular benefits to us as swimmers. Jo Tinsley explores the value of seaweed for swimmers’ hair, skin and bodies - Outdoor swimming after a heart attack
A reader got in touch to ask our health columnist Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi’s advice on going back to swimming outdoors following a heart attack - A year-round approach to training for long swims
Simon Griffiths looks at a year-round approach to preparing for major endurance challenges - From the banks of Lake Pichola
Itching for a challenge, Jharna Kumawat approaches long distance swimming like a three-course meal - Sophie Etheridge: Let me tell you a story
A story about Oona. She’s just 11 years old; she has faced many challenges and unseen fights in life. She uses a wheelchair full time. Words by adaptive athlete Sophie Etheridge. - Swimming in Time
Three Rivers author Robert Winder explains why river swimming is an immersion in the past. - Train to go the distance…in the pool!
It’s important to know what your body needs so you can complete long-distance sessions safely and effectively, says swim coach Nicola Butler - All in the family
Cross-Channel swims have a lengthly history, and one Folkestone family has had a front row seat since the 1920s - Tough training, high anxiety
Mental Health Swims Community Engagement Manager Sarah Groves tells us about her final few weeks of training before her big Windermere swim - It’s all in the hips
How working on hip mobility can improve your swimming, by personal trainer Liz Lowe - Carb loading: What, when, and how to fuel a big swim
Carb loading is especially useful before long endurance events that last over 90 minutes, such as marathons, long-distance swims, or cycling races, where your body relies heavily on stored energy. - The Midnight Windermere 50
To mark her 50th birthday, Ceri Smith decided to swim across England’s longest lake with 49 other swimmers, Sharon Davies included, here she shares their story - How and why women are surpassing men in ultra-endurance swimming
New book, Ultra Women, explores how women are outperforming men in endurance sport, author Lily Canter tells us more. - September in the open water community
Nowca reveals a new swimming venue in the Worcestershire countryside, and Mental Health Swims share why autumn is the ideal time to join a local swim group - Breathing hard to breathe easy
Adam Ball’s 13 Lake Challenge for Cystic Fibrosis - The art of endurance
Does swimming imitate art for Katie Pumphrey, or vice versa? Rowan Clarke finds out - Beyond the horizon
Rowan Clarke meets the modern day adventurers who are conquering the waves. - Find your own long distance
Simon Griffiths looks at what makes a long-distance swim - Best tow floats for wild swimming
There are a number of different kinds of tow float on the market: we tested a range of products with different features so you can decide which is right for you. Some contain storage, others hydration options. - Water shoes: what footwear do you need for wild swimming?
Lightweight, insulated or easy to slip on pre- or post-swim – read our guide to water shoes and neoprene socks for outdoor swimmers - Best swimming towels and towel robes
Whether you prefer a lightweight and quick-drying travel towel that fits easily in your kit bag or a cosy and roomy towel robe for warmth and quick changes, a good swimming towel is an essential part of your kit.
