When you look back on your year, what do you see? What stands out?

Remember to look back on your swimming adventures as well as forwards, says Simon Griffiths

As swimmers, we’re good at looking forwards. We think about what swimming adventures we want to do next. We plan how we are going to prepare for them. We practise and train to achieve our goals.

But after your event, challenge or adventure is over, how much more thought do you give it? If you’re the competitive sort, you might spend a few minutes analysing your performance: what went well and how you could improve next time. This is a useful thing to do and will help you on your swimming journey but it’s not what I mean here.

I’m thinking instead about reflecting on your year and re-living the highlights. Not what have you achieved but what have you enjoyed? What special moments did you experience or share with friends or family.

This isn’t confined to swimming but I often find memories associated with swimming are particularly vivid, whether it involves the intensity of racing or fun times messing around in the water. Why just enjoy them once when you can cast your mind back and enjoy them again.

I like to start by simply thinking through the year, putting things in order in my mind. Then I look through my calendar. I always find something I’d forgotten about or an event that I thought I done the previous year but was actually in the current year. Finally, I scroll through the pictures on my phone, which brings back more memories.

How vivid can you make your memories? Rather than just list your experiences, can you remember how they felt, what they sounded like, what could you smell and what emotions did they evoke? In March this year, I went to the Gambia, where I worked many years ago. I first swam in the Atlantic, bodysurfing in the breakers. I can feel my right hand skimming across the water, see the spray forming a V either side of it, and smell the heavy tropical air. I also went inland and swam in the River Gambia at sunset. It was warm, silky and silty. I’d seen hippos earlier and heard talk of crocodiles. I can reignite both the anxiety I had at sharing the water with these animals and my relief at not being mauled. 

This issue we’re celebrating the idea of swimming as a gift, which it is in so many ways. In January, we’ll start looking forward and planning for the year ahead. Swimming adventures are exciting to look forward to, fun to do and leave lasting memories. It’s natural to spend more time and effort in planning, preparation and anticipation but as we wind down towards the end of the year, it’s worth setting aside space for reflection and reminiscing. As well as anticipating future adventures, make sure you celebrate your past swimming experiences and enjoy the memories.