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FINA must reverse their decision and do more to promote diversity in swimming
FINA reject SOUL CAP application to certify their swimming caps for elite competition
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Should safe diving boards be installed at rivers?
Simon Griffiths suggests putting diving boards at rivers to offer youngsters an alternative to jumping from bridges and lock structures.…
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Swimming wild in the city – our favourite urban swim events
Think of wild swimming and your first thought might not be a dock in east London. But our capital city…
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Taming the Hudson – the 20 Bridges Swim, New York
Diego Cantillo reflects on swimming around Manhattan and how he “provoked the god of the waters” to complete the 20…
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The mystery of the missing silver rose bowl trophy
Michael Jennings hadn’t seen the silver trophy he was awarded for swimming the English Channel in 1960 for over fifty…
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Outdoor swimming is back, but not as we know it
Outdoor swimming is back, but it will look very different to anything we have seen before, says Simon Griffiths. Amid…
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Lifeguarding outdoors in winter: a chat with an open water lifeguard
We chat to Francesca Ridgard, a lifeguard at London Royal Docks, to find out what it’s like to lifeguard outdoors…
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Inspire the adventure: my life in outdoor books
The story of new nature writing goes hand in hand with the contemporary upsurge in wild swimming. Indeed, my own…
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My First Post-Lockdown Swim
I know I’m not the only person imagining my first post-lockdown swim. Sometimes when I can’t sleep, taking my thoughts…
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Red Bull New Year, New Challenge
Want To Tackle The World’s Toughest Uphill Open Water Swim? This January, Red Bull’s New Year, New Challenge is a…
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Of strongmen and stunt swimming: a history of alternative swimming achievements
Isn’t a marathon swim hard enough without towing trees, boats full of people, or swimming while shackled? In October 2018,…
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Chairman of the Rivers – The Strange Swimming History of Mao Zedong
A life-long swimmer, Mao Zedong used his athletic achievements for political gain. By Elaine K Howley Born to a wealthy…
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Tarn Baggers
In the 1950s, Colin Dodgson and Timothy Tyson swam in every tarn in the Lake District. Richard Nelsson recounts the…
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Remembering Charles Sprawson
I was saddened to hear the news that Charles Sprawson passed this week. His book, Haunts of the Black Masseur:…
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8 tips for working from home
Here at Outdoor Swimmer we are experts at working from home. You might imagine that we have a big office…
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From nervous swimmer to 70.3 World Champion, at age 70
Linda Spillane shares her story of how, starting from only being able to swim two lengths of her local pool,…
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How has the pandemic affected open water swimming venues?
The combination of pool closures and a hot summer has seen demand boom for swimming at safe, supervised venues The combination…
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What makes people want to plunge themselves into cold water?
John Weller and Lola Culsán meet swimmers at the ponds on Hampstead Heath What makes people want to routinely plunge…
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The loneliness of the black long distance swimmer
On 25 August 1981, Charles Chapman, AKA Charlie the Tuna, became the first black swimmer to complete a solo crossing…
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Swimming with your dog – safety advice and kit suggestion
The Red Original Dog Buoyancy Aid is a great option for keeping your dog safe during water-based activities. You love…
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Swimming while black: stories from the community
We love to say that open water swimming is for all. But is that aspirational rather than a statement of…
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How to train for mental fitness
Top athletes know that better begins in your mind, and that performing at your best in sport all depends on…
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Why I’m not swimming right now: the temptation is real, but the risk is as well
“Hi. My name is Elaine, and it’s been 66 days since my last swim.” That last swim was a 25…
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Tales from lockdown: how has Covid-19 impacted the world of outdoor swimming?
As coronavirus forces the closure of the world’s open waters, the outdoor swimming community waits patiently for its return. In…
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Making history in the English Channel
How Sam Penny, a 46-year-old Australian civil engineer turned cheesemaker, became the first person in history to attempt a winter…
