April 2026,  EXTRA,  FEATURES

Is urban swiming really more accessible than wild swimming?

Adaptive swimmer Sophie Etheridge shares the surprising obstacles she encounters in purpose-built urban pools

When people ask me for accessible swimming spots, they usually assume the answer will be a lido or another urban venue. It sounds logical: the Equality Act 2010 requires public services to be accessible, so you’d expect leisure centres to be designed with disabled swimmers in mind.

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Outdoor Swimmer is the magazine for outdoor swimmers by outdoor swimmers. We write about fabulous wild swimming locations, amazing swim challenges, swim training advice and swimming gear reviews.