Hector Pardoe, Yvette Tetteh and Jonty Warneken join Ella at Kendal Mountain Festival

This Sunday 19 November at Kendal Mountain Festival, editor Ella will be joined by some incredible athletes from the outdoor swimming world, including Olympian Hector Pardoe, long-distance swimmer and activist Yvette Tetteh and ice swimmer Jonty Warneken

The Outdoor Swimming Session at Kendal Mountain Festival promises to be an exhilarating journey through rivers, lakes and the sea as seen through the goggles of swimmers from around the world.

Outdoor Swimmer editor Ella Foote will be hosting the event and will be joined on stage by some incredible swimmers who will be sharing their stories.

Hector Pardoe – Hector’s speedy rise to the top of British men’s marathon swimming has seen him become a staple in the team since his time at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – a feat he continues as he lines up for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka. Hear about his life spent at the top of his game, as well as his impressive end to end swim of Windermere this September, where he broke the 26 year old record, swimming the 10.5 miles in 3:40:28.

Read our interview with Hector Pardoe.

Yvette Tetteh – Ghanaian-British agribusiness entrepreneur and athlete Yvette Tetteh is the first person to swim across the Volta River, completing the longest documented swim in Ghanaian history. Covering 450km, Yvette conducted research and raised awareness for textile pollution alongside her support boat, The Woman Who Does Not Fear. Join Yvette on stage to hear her epic story.

Read about Yvette Tetteh’s swim in the Volta River.

Jonty Warneken – Jonty has represented Team GB multiple times at the Ice Swimming World Championships and was the first para swimmer to complete the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) Ice Mile swim. Last year he was a member of “Team Bits Missing” the 1st Para relay team to swim the North Channel (from Northern Ireland to Scotland) and this year he took it one step further, becoming the first disabled person to swim the North Channel solo.

Read about Jonty’s swim at the 5th International Ice Swimming Association World Championships.

The Big Swim: Eden Source to Sea – Kit, Julia, Jenny and Helen are four friends who have swum the same small stretch of the Eden for over ten years. A combination of curiosity and concern sowed the seed for their project The Big Swim: Eden Source to Sea. Curiosity to know what the rest of their beautiful river looks like along with real concern round the pressing issues endangering the health and well-being of British rivers. This summer they swam the length of the 80-mile river in a 15-stage adventure. On the way they gathered rubbish, engaged with fellow Eden users, feathered, finned, furred or clothed, and shared their journey on social media. A film of the project is underway, made possible with a grant from the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Before the event there will be an unofficial swim at 8am at Millerground, Windermere. Ella hopes to see you there!

The Outdoor Swimming Session is presented by Voited and takes place on Sunday 19 November in Kendal Town Hall at 12.30pm. Click here to get your tickets.