Back to School – September 2022

Editor’s Letter:

September is a strange month. Despite no longer being in education, I think every adult has a ‘back-to-school’ feeling at the end of the summer. Either we have family members returning to schools and universities or work can pick up pace again after a quiet August. I have mixed feelings about autumn. There is so much to love: cooler days, but water still warm; changing flora and fauna – snuffling blackberries from the river where others can’t reach them; warm spells of sunshine that feel like bonus summertime. But despite all of this, the days draw in and by the time the clocks fall back I can feel a bit gloomy.

This month I wanted to embrace that back-to-school vibe and celebrate learning. Our lead feature and cover image are all about youth swimming. How can we encourage and support young swimmers to embrace outdoor swimming? Rowan Clarke finds out on page 16. Minreet Kaur tells us why learning to swim is the best thing she ever did (page 32), I share my attempt to learn butterfly stroke (page 50) and Suzy Hegg shares lessons from the Lake District (page 58). All this and so much more! Outdoor swimming offers everyday learning and I am never not discovering something new in the water. Embrace the seasonal change and challenge yourself this month.

Ella, Outdoor Swimmer Editor

FEATURES 

• Young hearts, swim free: Youth and open water swimming 
• Lynne Cox: “Swimming is my language” 
• Blow the Man Down: Tom Blower, the first person to swim the North Channel 

COACH 

• Cassie Patten: How to sight 
• I Survived: Weils Disease 
• Training: How to master the buoy turn 
• Move of the Month: front rear raise 
• How to swim butterfly 

GEAR 

• Tried & Tested: Tow floats 
• Haircare  

EXPLORE 

• The Peak District 
• Greece 
• Yorkshire  
• Zürich 

COLUMNISTS 

• Sarah Thomas: Marathon Swimming  
• Jonathan Cowie: Keep swimming weird 
• Joe Minihane: Swimming solo 
• Minreet Kaur: Beginner Swimmer 
• Caroline Saxon: Never too old to learn 
• Simon Griffiths: Safe swimming for children 
• Sophie Etheridge: Adaptive Swimmer 
• Emma Pusill: The Lido Tour 
• Susanne Masters: Environment 

Plus, event reviews, UK and international event listings, community news, travel news and more inspiring photos and stories from the outdoor swimming community.  

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🌍  Carbon balanced paper, vegetable-based printing ink and water-based cover seals. We have the environment at the forefront of our minds when making the magazine. (We are constantly trying to do better!)