From health struggles to a life transformed by swimming

After years of chronic illness and recovery from brain surgery, Victoria discovered that swimming – both in the pool and outdoors – gave her strength, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose

For well over a decade, I struggled with swelling, constant headaches, joint pain, and extreme fatigue caused by chronic health issues that were, at the time, undiagnosed. Exercise felt impossibly hard, leaving me wondering how anyone could enjoy it. I had always loved the water growing up – swimming in the sea until my hands looked like prunes or playing in the pool until I soaked up every last hint of chlorine – but I never took swimming seriously. As an adult, it was something I did occasionally and longed to get into properly, yet pool lanes always felt daunting and unwelcoming. I convinced myself I didn’t have a place there if I hadn’t grown up swimming.

After a long road to getting a diagnosis and undergoing extensive treatment, I had my third and final brain surgery in 2024. Funnily enough, I actually went for a swim the night before to clear my head. After an extensive recovery period, I was cleared to exercise and immediately headed to the pool, deciding it was time to stop my fears from taking control. What began as gentle, low-impact rehabilitation evolved into something far more meaningful. Somewhere along the way, I completely fell in love with swimming. The structure and discipline scratched an itch I didn’t realise I had, and soon I found myself working towards a goal.

I completed a challenge to swim the length of the English Channel over a few weeks to raise money for The Pituitary Foundation. That summer quickly filled with wild swims at my local converted quarry, and holidays were planned around swimming. It all culminated in my first 2.5km open water race at Roadford Lake. I had never done anything like this before. Standing around in thick neoprene in the 24ºC sun, I felt unbelievably nervous.

Once we were in the water and the klaxon fired, I had a panic attack. I was swallowing water, gasping for air, and clawing at the neck of my wetsuit for some respite while everyone else surged ahead. Eventually, I told myself I just had to swim to the first buoy – a couple of hundred metres away – and if I was still panicking, I could stop. I put my head down and counted my strokes: 1, 2, 3, breathe, 1, 2, 3, breathe. By the time I reached that buoy, my heart rate had steadied, and I powered on.

That race was pivotal because it showed me just how much of swimming is a mental game and how events can shape the way you think as much as the way you move.

Since then, swimming has taken over my life in the best possible way. I’ve gone on to compete in events around the UK, swimming my longest distance to date – 6km at the Bantham Boomerang with my sister, Laura. Now I am training for my first marathon swim, the 10km Hurly Burly, with the long-term dream of swimming the English Channel.

Whether I’m wild swimming or counting lengths in the pool, the monotonous rhythm of swimming feels deeply meditative. Swimming outdoors, in particular, makes you feel part of something much bigger – a sense of respect for the elements and a clarity like no other. I also firmly believe that swimmers are among the most hardcore athletes. In the depths of winter, we trek to the pool, submerge ourselves in cold water, exercise without any entertainment, imprint our faces with ridiculous goggle marks, dry out our kit, and do it all again the next day.

Swimming is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one, which is why it has taught me so much. After a long period of physical and mental hardship, swimming has allowed me to channel the resilience built through illness into something positive. You are forced to be present, with no distractions beyond your own thoughts. In long-distance swims, it is easy to slip into negative thinking, so remembering why you’re there matters.

Through races and long-distance swims, I’ve regained a sense of strength and trust in my body that I never had before. Each time I reach a new goal or push myself further than I thought possible, I feel incredible. I am stronger and healthier than ever, and I now carry that resilience into every aspect of my life beyond the water.