Finding my confidence, one length at a time

For ZONE3 competition winner Miaya Dangol KC, a leap from a 25-metre pool to open water felt daunting, but expert coaching, growing confidence and plenty of determination is helping her get closer to her Swim Serpentine goal

My journey to Swim Serpentine continues…

In July, I was extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to train with Nice1, an organisation that offers open water-specific lessons and training. As a regular at Quay Swim (where Nice1 is based), they heard about my competition win and kindly offered me a complimentary pool training session.

I was incredibly excited – until I arrived and saw a 50-metre pool filled with professional swimming clubs. Up until that point, I had only ever swum in a 25-metre pool, but I tried to remain unfazed. I won’t lie, it was hard at first, even completing a single length. I think it was more the thought of the longer distance than the swimming itself.

My swim training: transitioning to front crawl in open water

The coach running the session was incredibly patient and encouraged me to take breaks whenever I needed them. She introduced me to some simple swimming drills and helped me take controlled recovery breaks. I’d never really had anyone watch me swim and offer tips and advice on how to improve my technique. Although I was exhausted by the end of the session, I absolutely loved it and signed up for another one the following week. Luckily for me, that session was held in a standard 25-metre pool.

As my confidence in the pool has grown, I’ve naturally started to feel more confident in open water too. The next time I went to the lake, I managed to swim front crawl. Admittedly, it wasn’t my most confident swim, and I still stopped a few times along the way, but I could definitely see the improvement. I mixed breaststroke with front crawl and, what had previously been a 500-metre swim, turned into a full 1,000-metre loop – all on my own!

My fears and anxieties about swimming solo have definitely reduced. I think that’s largely because I’m improving with the right support, and my confidence in the water continues to grow with every swim.

Stay tuned for more updates on how Miaya is getting on with her swim training and preparing for Swim Serpentine in her new ZONE 3 kit.

ZONE3 design high-performance swim products built through athlete experience, technical precision, and real-world testing. Their mission is to create equipment that delivers speed, efficiency, and confidence in every environment, supporting swimmers of all levels with proven performance they can rely on. Find out more