My Lake Annecy challenge

Jharna Kumawat tells us about her swim project that is ambitious and yet simple

This August, I’m taking on a DIY swim challenge that feels equal parts irresistible, ambitious… and just a little bit mad: swimming Lake Annecy end-to-end – all 14.9 kilometres of it – with my swim buddy.

The ‘why’ is easy. Lake Annecy is stunning with crystal-clear water, alpine scenery, and that sense of swimming somewhere that feels a world away from the familiar UK swim spots. Sometimes you just want to take your swimming somewhere new, trade grey skies for mountain backdrops and turn a swim into a proper adventure. That’s exactly what this is. The ‘how,’ on the other hand, is where things get interesting.

On paper, the plan is beautifully simple (famous last words). We’ll swim it as a relay, taking turns in 60–90-minute stints, one in the water, one on the boat recovering, refuelling and pretending not to think about how much distance remains. For the final two kilometres, we’ll both get in and swim together to the finish. Shared suffering, shared glory. Of course, being a DIY challenge, we’ve added a few extra variables for the purposes of character-building.

We have boat support with a local French crew guiding us along the lake. They speak French, I speak English and between us we have some basic phrases, a lot of optimism, and what I expect will become a highly refined system of pointing and enthusiastic thumbs-ups. Detailed strategy discussions may be limited, but then again, in open water, communication is rarely about long conversations. A quick glance, a nod, a hand signal that says, “I’m fine” (or occasionally “I’m absolutely not fine, please feed me”) – it’s its own universal language. And at the heart of it, we all understand the essentials: safety first, keep moving forward, and don’t lose the swimmer.

That’s the beauty of a DIY challenge. It’s not perfectly packaged or choreographed. It’s built on trust, adaptability and a willingness to figure things out as you go. If something goes off plan, that’s not failure, that’s part of the adventure (or, at the very least, a future story you’ll dine out on). The distance itself will demand respect, 14.9 kilometres is long enough to have a quiet word with yourself, possibly several. But broken into relay legs, it becomes manageable, almost rhythmic. Swim, recover, repeat. Each rotation is a reset. Fresh arms, a clearer head, and a renewed belief that yes, this was a good idea after all.

Meanwhile, the person on the boat has the equally critical job of staying warm, eating constantly, and not obsessively calculating how many hours are left every five minutes.

Then comes the final 2 kilometres, the reward. There’s something special about finishing together, about those last strokes being shared. Also, by that point, swimming side by side may be the only way to ensure neither of us quietly gives up within sight of the finish. And because no DIY challenge is complete without a proper ending, I’ve decided to design a medal. A shiny one. If you’re going to swim nearly 15 kilometres across an alpine lake, it feels only right to have some well-earned bling waiting at the finish. One of the joys of creating your own challenge is that you don’t just define the swim, you define how it’s celebrated. No standard-issue medal here, this one will mean exactly what we want it to.

That’s the magic of DIY swimming, you set the distance, you choose the place, you create the experience – whether that’s exploring new water outside the UK or simply doing something that feels a bit bigger than your usual swim. Will it be perfect? Probably not. There may be language mix-ups, unexpected conditions and moments where we question our decisions. But that’s part of it. Because at its heart, this isn’t just about crossing Lake Annecy. It’s about adventure, curiosity, and the joy of making something happen on your own terms.