Outdoor Swimmer Magazine July 21 Back Issue

Welcome to the Mind Matters issue, which includes a special focus on men and men’s mental health. Outdoor swimming is one of the few sports that is dominated by women, but in the July issue we meet inspiring men from the outdoor swimming community to talk mental health, motivation and open water.
We are very excited to talk to Linford Christie OBE, one of the most highly decorated British athletes of all-time. The former Olympic sprinter took to the open water in 2019 to attempt an English Channel relay. We met him to find out about his new interest in outdoor swimming and what is behind his success.
Last September, suicide rates in England and Wales hit a two-decade high, with men accounting for almost three-quarters of all suicide deaths. We meet the Icebreakers, a group using cold water swimming to support men's mental health.
In May, triple-amputee and former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod MBE completed a 1km sea swim – read about how he aims to inspire people with his successes.
And we talk to James Pittar, the first blind swimmer to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
Plus, exploring waterfalls, the truth behind eco-friendly sunscreen, the revolution in women’s swimwear, the frontline workers finding solace in outdoor swimming, the “Shock to the System” pool training session, guided wild swim days, post-swim stretches, France’s hidden wild swim spots, goggles and jammers on test, how to plan a safe wild swim, how to best use your legs when swimming freestyle, where to swim outdoors in London, and the nine-year-old who says ““I felt swimming indoors was getting boring so I decided to give outdoor swimming a try and I love it!”