Louise Minchin to take on Arla Great North Swim this June
Author and former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin joins inspiring participants of Arla Great North Swim
Arla Great North Swim has announced that Louise Minchin will be joining this year’s open water event in the Lake District. An author and former BBC Breakfast presenter, Louise is also a passionate triathlete and swimmer. Louise will be taking part in the two-mile swim on Friday 7 June, and the middle distance SwimRun on Saturday, 8 June.
Louise will also be on the SwimFest stage on Saturday afternoon to talk about her new book Fearless, celebrating 17 stories of trailblazing women who are breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes through their strength, power, and determination.
Louise Minchin said: “I’m so excited to come to the Lake District and be part of the Arla Great North Swim weekend. This event is something I’ve been wanting to do for ages and I can’t wait to join all the swimmers.”
Inspirational others joining Louise
On Friday 22 March a number of inspiring participants of the Arla Great North Swim came together at Brockhole on Windermere for a start of spring shakeout swim and to highlight the ‘Every Body Swim’ campaign of this year’s event, which focuses on the inclusivity of swimming and how everyone can enjoy the feeling of freedom that the water gives us.
Among those at the spring swim at Brockhole was outdoor adventurer Thao Nunns. Thao will be swimming the 1-mile distance at the Arla Great North Swim this June.
“I’ve been swimming for a few years now,” said Thao. “It first started as I have endometriosis and a lot of pain with that, and a friend recommended a cold water swim to see how it might help.
“I feel alive, pain free and such freedom when I am in the open water. It’s escape from the mad world, you can relax your mind – it’s you, the water, the birds singing, and the scenery.
“I encourage everyone to try the Arla Great North Swim. I could not swim far before, but I assure you it’s not competitive, it’s a massive community and everyone is supporting you. Try out your ability, the atmosphere is amazing.”
A joyful event
Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi – TV’s popular lifestyle loctor, was also present at the Brockhole swim: “This is my fourth year in a row doing the Arla Great North Swim and I always look forward to meeting other likeminded people that love swimming, and witnessing the joy they get from it.
“I’ve gained so much from swimming for my health and wellbeing, in particular my mental health, and I wanted to try to translate that to these patients I’m seeing and help those with long term physical or mental conditions to access the benefits of swimming.
“At our local pool we’ve been given an hour slot each week to access the benefits of swimming, and we worked alongside Swim England and Mental Health Swims to make that possible.”
The Arla Great North Swim, the UK’s most popular and biggest open water swimming event, will be held on June 7-9 2024.
Abigail Whyte
Abi writes swimming news stories and features for the Outdoor Swimmer website and manages the social media channels. She loves to swim, run, hike and SUP close to her home in Herefordshire. While she’s a keen wild swimmer, Abi is new to the world of open water events and recently completed her first open water mile. She has previously written for The Guardian, BBC Countryfile Magazine, BBC History Magazine and Ernest Journal.
