At the start of the Wild Wye Swim, a crowd of all shapes, sizes and ages made its way into the river, including a man who removed his prosthetic leg before giving it to a steward and setting off on his swim. Once swimming, he blended into the rest of the group because water is a great leveller.
Although people with disabilities have been taking part in mainstream open water swimming events for years, they still face barriers. These can be fairly obvious physical barriers such as getting across a sandy beach in a wheelchair or clambering up a river bank at the end of a swim. But other less visible barriers are often harder to overcome and both event organisers and participants can lack the knowledge, tools and confidence to find the right support.