Swims that shaped me: Ali Couch

From her first event at Bournemouth’s Pier to Pier to her adventure in the Scillies, Ali Couch shares the swims that stand out in her lifetime of swimming.

I have always swum, it was the only form of exercise I enjoyed doing at school. Even in my most sloth of student days I’d visit the local rundown leisure centre for a swim. Every holiday I take will involve swimming somewhere, indoor or outdoor, I’m not selective.

Bournemouth Pier to Pier

That first swim event will always stay with you. Daunting and exciting, I completed the British Heart Foundation’s Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim with my sister and a Brighton friend in 2011. Now in its 33rd year, and boasting to be one of the largest in Europe, this 1.4-miler is one of the originals. I recommend it.

The Solent Swim

I grew up in Portsmouth so the sea is my first love. During the long hot summer of 1976, I remember lying on the beach watching the hovercraft dash to the Isle of Wight. One day my dad joked how close the island seemed and that we should all swim to it! It took another 38 years, then I did in 2014, with my dad and family watching on.

When I signed up for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s Solent Swim, I’d done nothing like it before – it is 5km from Stokes Bay in Gosport to Ryde. We were a quirky bunch of 21 swimmers, bonded by this unique adventure and the coaching of Anna Wardley, a British endurance swimmer.

One person who stood out was this magazine’s founder and publisher Simon Griffiths – he swam it in under 80 minutes in skins! He also gave us a free annual subscription to H2Open (this magazine’s original name). I came in at just under two hours, elated and exhausted.

The Bantham Swoosh

This was my first river event in 2016. Landing on Bantham beach after the 6km swim a volunteer with a big grin offered me an arm as I hauled myself out, and from that point I wanted to be part of this generous community of volunteers. For the past five years, I have been The Outdoor Swimming Society’s Outreach Officer. I enjoy liaising with our resident experts to respond to the probing questions that come into the hello@ inbox from around the globe.

Solent Outdoor Swimmers

When I was living back on the south coast full time, I had no one locally to swim with so in 2018 I set up a swim group on Facebook. I persuaded a handful of friends and family to be the first members until ‘real’ outdoors swimmers joined. I have some great friends from those who joined in the early days, who are now admins and swim-meet facilitators. We are an ever changing collective – we have regular swims that run all year, we go on swimming adventures and we hire pool lanes for winter training.

Last year, Strong Island Media captured us swimming with a drone for a Port Authority promotional film (pictured above). We were on such a high – we looked confident, we looked good, we were a thing.

Scilly Sea Swim Challenge

Every year I choose one or two new swim events to do; they shape my summer, taking me to new places. My next adventure is the two-day Scilly Swim in September. While browsing for swim kit last month, I spotted someone selling their place and their hotel room. I’ve never been to the Scillies, so I snapped up the place with the comfort of knowing I have two friends doing it. Training and friendship will get me through it.

Lead photo: sussexsportphotography.com

Fancy sharing swims that shaped you? Get in touch! Email: editor@outdoorswimmer.com