On a warm Friday in July last year I travelled a nightmare 9 ½ hours on gridlocked motorways from Pembrokeshire to Yorkshire. I was enrolled on the first ever STA Level 2 Award in Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification course at Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre in Doncaster.
Now, I admit to not knowing the north of England very well, but I did wonder why a landlocked area of Yorkshire was holding such a prestigious event. That was, until I got to the venue. Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre is renowned for Ice Miles (swimming a mile in water of 5 degrees Celsius or less. In only a swimming costume and thin hat. For fun). Piers Morgan was once quoted as saying: ‘hey are all mad in Doncaster.’ I had to agree with him!
There were eight of us gathered in the classroom overlooking Hatfield Lake. Leon Fryer was our inspiring course tutor. His introductions began and to my amazement most of the attendees were successful Channel, marathon or Ice Mile swimmers. I have a background as a club swim coach but the maximum distance I had swum before was 5km, in a wetsuit, in 14 degree water at its lowest. I suddenly felt very insignificant. I sat for the next hour in awe listening to my comrades sharing their extreme experiences, thinking: ‘Still with Piers!’