Photography: Paul Mitchell @wildman_media
Whilst more swimrun events now cater for solo participants, the shared adventure between two people and the landscape through which they are travelling remains at the very heart of the sport. You can have all the best gear done all the training and have been born with gills as well as lungs yet it can count for nothing if you and your team mate aren’t on the same page. For some choosing a swimrun partner is as meticulous as choosing a car, while for others all it takes is a chance encounter.
I ‘picked up’ Pat on the shore of Shepperton Lake about two years ago. Here was someone who seemed non plussed that she had a wedge of foam between her thighs, was entering the water in her best trail shoes and had plastic plates strapped to her hands. People were actually staring. But in my mind, I had found a kindred spirit. Fast forward to September and with Otillo Hvar under our belts, we were on a plane bound for Breca Jersey.