I can still recall, during my teenage years, at the end of an arduous training session, looking back at the still waters of my school pool and wondering if this is the place for me. I was exhausted. In those days, I used to wake up at 6, head to the pool for 7, swim for an hour and then do it all over again after school. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
As so many of you will no doubt have found yourselves at various points, I’d become trapped in swim mode, searching for an answer to the big question – Why? At age 20, I lost faith in swimming and quit the pool. Three decades on, I found my way back with a renewed sense of purpose.
I now swim for me. How selfish is that? I take the time to experiment. Go further and faster when it suits. Try different environments. Play around with the schedule. The experience has become fun, fast and free – and sometimes a little dangerous (Lake Charles, LA, and a close encounter with an alligator comes to mind). In other words, what used to feel like a pointless task is now a way of life.
Training is still an unavoidable part of this new way of life, especially for long-distance swims. But why does training have to be something you dread? In recent years, my focus has become: how do we ensure training for those big swims has the same spirit of freedom and adventure?
At the start of 2024, while scoping out our next big challenge, we approached the Madeira Tourist Board to request a swim tour of the island – a decision based solely on the outrageous beauty of the place. (Check out Instagram if you don’t believe me.) And guess what? They said yes and put us in touch with Mayra Santos, a local swimming legend. Mayra’s swims are incredible. In 2024, Mayra completed a 60km out-and-back swim between the islands of Madeira and Desertas. We realised the mighty Mayra would push our long-distance abilities to the max, so we had to get serious.
Our training began with the Henley Swim Festival, where we decided to take on the UNLTD challenge – a test of endurance to see how many miles we could swim in one go. Swim events are a fantastic way to prepare for new distances but with a festival feel and like-minded people – a sociable, vibrant, dynamic contrast with quiet laps of the local pool.
The challenge of swimming and walking a mile-long loop is fascinating. The repetition removes any decision making, which leaves you free to experiment with each swim mile, finding the ultimate line, the most direct route. The water was a reasonable 18 degrees and the supportive crowds gave us the impetus to push on through every long mile, while the organisers provided a range of food, advice and equipment stalls for the downtimes.
I managed four miles while my fellow swimmer pushed on to complete 10, and as we walked back to the start line, we exchanged knowing glances. He had his goal and I had mine. We respected each other’s achievements.
Swim events are a fantastic way to prepare for new distances but with a festival feel and like-minded people – a sociable, vibrant, dynamic contrast with quiet laps of the local pool.
The next stop in our summer of training was Cornwall, where we met local swim guide Hannah Waller from Wild & Open Water Swim Coaching. The north Cornish coast is swim heaven, with wide open spaces and secret coves hidden from the shore. The weather can be unpredictable, the conditions unstable, so it’s always wise to team up with some local expertise. We tackled two swims with Hannah, a choppy early morning dip at Porth Bay and a much softer estuary swim in the River Gannel.
These swims let us experience a mix of conditions in a short space of time and Hannah gave us valuable tips along the way to improve our stroke and pace. As with most people in Cornwall, Hannah displayed a cool, calm professionalism, but also gave us space to push the boundaries. She used a paddle board and bobbed along as we swam, creating a safe space to explore ideas and techniques. She noticed my head was quite high out of the water and suggested that a flatter position, looking downwards, would streamline my body shape. I also experimented with the idea of slowing down to go faster by creating more power through the arms, reducing speed and focusing on a big pull at the end of each stoke, rather than spinning my arms around like a windmill in a storm.
During our time in Cornwall, we stayed at the Watergate Bay Hotel, a swim retreat with 24-hour views of the rolling surf and endless possibilities for a swim. We took advantage of a 25m pool overlooking the sea and booked a training session with Salim Ahmed, a pro who’s been competing for over 50 years and now coaches all kinds of swimmers, from novices to Olympians.
‘Swimming is one of the only sports you can continue to improve at throughout your life, from age nine through to 90,’ Salim says. ‘The swim break at Watergate Bay is designed to help people connect with the water, to swim longer, further and faster, and most important of all, to fall in love with swimming all over again.’
Swimming is one of the only sports you can continue to improve at throughout your life, from age nine through to 90.
Swimming should be about creating your own goals, being a little selfish and single-minded, recognising that your accomplishments are your own and not something done to satisfy others. So don’t let training get in the way of new adventures. Training can be part of the adventure. Looking back at my teenage self, swimming laps of the school pool, I wish I had understood this principle then.
As our journey nears completion, with the preparation (almost) complete, we brace ourselves for total immersion in a brand-new swimming world in Madeira. I try to keep mindful of the need to stay true to our own ambitions. True to the places we find ourselves. True to our new connections. It is time to dive in and let the adventure begin.