Creativity and swimming

Why not think of ways to be more maverick in your swimming, says Jonathan Cowie

What’s your favourite swim stroke? Trudgeon, side-stroke or double-armed backstroke? I thought not. But there is more to swimming than front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. Take, for example, the corkscrew stroke, which was invented by me and my brother on holiday in France in the 1980s. With every front crawl stroke you do a full rotation, screwing yourself through the water. It is very fast, but also makes you quite dizzy, so maybe not the best choice for long-distance swimming. But in honour of this issue devoted to creativity and swimming, why not think of ways to be more maverick in your swimming? There is a big world out there full of very stupid/incredible things just waiting to be done. My goal for 2024 is to swim the length of Windermere. Perhaps I need to be more maverick and be the first person to corkscrew its length!

When it comes to goals, should you start small or go big?

When writing, there is nothing more daunting than a blank page. Of course, if you reframe how you think about it, there is nothing more exciting than a blank page. Fill it words! Fill it with drawings! Or leave it blank! – a testament to the endless possibilities of life. 

The same can be said about goals in swimming. It is too easy to abandon your goals if they are too big, too daunting. But start small and soon you will have written a novel – or swam your first 10km, learnt front crawl or entered your first event. 

In a related feature this issue, Simon writes about the importance of swimming goals despite the horrors that are happening around the world. As he says, if we all make a small difference, big things can happen. Think about this too when setting your goals, and don’t focus on the big challenge at the end of your training plan. Instead, focus on the small steps that will get you there: the mile swim that will eventually lead to your 10km race; the technique training sessions that will help you master front crawl breathing; the open water skills you will learn to make your first event a fun experience. Before you know it, you will be ready for your 2024 challenge.

Big seas, big skies and big mountains

The painting above is not a long-lost Turner, but my first attempt at oil painting. It was painted under the expert guidance of my friend Hugh, a bona fide artist. It was painted from imagination and I find it interesting that the first things that came to my mind were big seas, big skies and big mountains. Even when on dry land, open water swimmers are always thinking about the water and the great outdoors!

Are you enjoying our series of short stories by writer Lauren Sharp? I love this issue’s story in which she thinks about creativity and water. If I am feeling anxious, I know that a long swim will help me put things into perspective. With time to think you can come up with some deep and philosophical answers to life’s difficult questions, or create beautiful poetry inspired by the water…

There once was a young man called Jon
Who swimming, he did with aplomb
He thought it not rude
To swim in the nude
For he considered that trunks were a con