Wild Swim Podcast - tales of outdoor swimming adventures from the water
Alice joins me to speak about her Masters in Public Health, and the important role she believes that outdoor swimming could play in this area.
Like many swimmers I’ve heard about the personal benefits of open water swimming, as well as experiencing this myself. Alice describes how this might work on a wider, population level, and the challenges that might bring. I was really interested to hear about the idea of doctors prescribing outdoor swimming!
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Author Kerry Andrew joins me to talk about SKIN, a story of mystery, myths and – of course – swimming.
SKIN follows the journey of eleven-year-old Matty. Joe, father to Matty, has disappeared, and nobody will explain where he’s gone, or why. Kerry captures the joy of outdoor swimming as Matty finds peace in the water, firstly in the Hampstead Ponds, and later in the loughs of Ireland, although it’s not always a harmonious relationship.
In this episode, Kerry describes the novel and the inspiration, as well as a dream swim that’s definitely going on my wishlist!
SKIN is available now in hardback and paperback.
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P B Hughes is a cold water swimmer and poet from London. In this episode she describes the courage needed to attempt cold water swimming, and observes that this courage is something she’s been able to take strength in during difficult times. She also describes the parallels between cold water swimming and her creative work.
P B finishes the episode by sharing a couple of her poems.
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Tamsin Calidas followed her dream of moving from London to a remote Scottish island. Relocating and adjusting to island life wasn’t without its challenges, and Tamsin shares how sea swimming and finding a bond with nature has helped her overcome those difficult times, and has now started to inspire her creative work.
I love how Tamsin describes the transformative impact swimming had for her, from forcing her to face her fears, to motivating her to get up in the morning. It’s allowed her to connect with her physical self and find a sense of release, or a place of peace, while being held by the water.
Tamsin shares an extract from her book at the end of the episode, and listening to it is like being in the water, swimming alongside her.
Tamsin is a writer and photographer. Her memoir, “I Am An Island” explores the challenges we all face, and is available now.
All images © Tamsin Calidas
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Lake District swimmer Sara Barnes shares why winter swimming means so much to her.
Sara started cold water swimming as therapy and as way to continue to experience her beloved Lake District landscape.
In this episode she talks about how the bravery needed to get into the water in the colder months pays off when you swim under a rainbow, as well as how to warm back up again after a swim.
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Cold water swimming has become a bit of a hot topic, but what do you need to know before diving in? (Hint: Don’t dive in!)
This episode has advice from swimmers around the world, as well as my top tips for cold water swimming.
Thanks to the swimmers in this episode: David, Eva, Karen, Kirrilee, Liz, Lou, Markus and Ruth for sharing your cold water tips. And thanks to Lou and Sue for letting me record our swim!
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The podcast is back after a short break! In this episode I talk about why I needed to take a break, and how swimming has helped me with recent life challenges; from allowing me to focus on being in the moment, to making me more resilient.
For more information on the cold water research I mention in this episode, have a look at these articles:
BBC News: Can cold water swimming treat depression?
The Guardian: Could cold water swimming help treat depression?
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From the leaves on the trees to the temperature of the water, things can change drastically in autumn. In this episode, I talk about steps to take to prepare for swimming this season.
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