SWIM SNAPS

EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to our training special! Whether you have signed

READER PHOTO CONTEST

OUTDOOR SWIMMER / SELKIE

New record for earliest ever 8-person English Channel relay

New record for earliest ever 8-person English Channel

How about 24 miles of butterfly?

If this swim was dated a day earlier, it may have been

Burnell and Muller take gold in Abu Dhabi

Great Britain’s Jack Burnell took gold in his first

NOWCA unveils venue list for weekly free 400m open water swims

NOWCA unveils venue list for weekly free 400m open

WEBBY AND SCOTT WIN NEW ZEALAND OCEAN SWIM SERIES!

Charlotte Webby retained her title in the New Zealand

BRENT FOSTER: WINNING SWIMMING AT 49

Experience counts, is the clear message from the Bay

Lake District Challenge

Keen outdoor swimmer John Mather didn’t celebrate his 60th birthday in the traditional way…

PILING WORK TO DISRUPT DOVER HARBOUR TRAINING THIS YEAR

PILING WORK TO DISRUPT DOVER HARBOUR TRAINING THIS

HIGH FIVE-OH

Celebrity personal trainer and sports scientist Greg Whyte is celebrating his 50th birthday year by embarking on 50 swimming challenges

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VIEW FROM THE WATER

Outdoor Swimmer founder and publisher Simon Griffiths considers how we can help make swimming safer for everyone

COMPETITION

Charlie McLeod’s heritage is firmly rooted in sport

Loch Coruisk, Isle of Skye

Peter and Dawn Springett describe the spectacular journey to Loch Coruisk, a breathtaking outdoor swimming destination on the Isle of Skye

HOW WILD SWIMMING HELPED BREAK MY ANXIETY

When Joe Minihane admitted to issues with anxiety, he turned to Roger Deakin’s swimming classic, Waterlog, for help. So began a long journey to retrace Roger’s dips, which has culminated in Floating: A Life Regained, his own book about wild swimming in the UK. Here he talks about his first swims and his attempts to recreate the classic ‘swimmer’s journey through Britain’

Advice for women

“Dear reader, when you swim, do not go about like a floating coffin, but be cheerful, enjoy yourself.” Jenny Landreth, author of Swell, A Waterbiography, explores the advice given to female swimmers in the 19th century

OPEN WATER SWIMMING LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE

Gavin Maitland underwent a double lung transplant at the age of 41. He now swims to raise awareness of organ donation

Remind yourself why you love to swim

Ella Foote meets Zen seeker Tessa Wardley, who says wild swimming is the perfect medium through which to practise mindfulness

IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

Gavin Price tells the story of Clevedon Lake And Sea Swimmers, the club behind the BBC ident

MIKE DAWSON

MS sufferer Mike Dawson is aiming to become the first person with MS to swim across the English Channel

COACH CASSIE

Our resident Olympian answers your swimming questions

MILE OR MARATHON

Whether you’re doing your first mile this year or stepping up to swimming’s marathon 10k distance, Fiona Ford has got a training plan for you

DIY 10k TRAINING CAMP

Can’t get away for that intensive overseas training camp? Don’t worry, Simon Murie of SwimTrek shows how you can create your own at home

HOW TO… SWIM 24 MILES IN 24 HOURS

Suzy Hegg finds out what it takes to complete one of swimming’s most gruelling challenges

SWIMRUN TRAINING

Coach and two-time Ötillö finisher Mark Harvey of Take3tri and Darrin Roles of Swim Oxford give their top tips for preparing for a swimrun race

YOUR FIRST SWIM

A swimmer’s first open water event is a magical milestone on their outdoor swimming journey. If you are new to swimming outdoors, an organised event is a great introduction to the open water. It can also be a bit daunting as you swim off into the unknown, so over the next two pages open water coach Jason Tait of South West Swim will guide you through everything you need to know to have an enjoyable first open water swim event

KEEPING WARM IN COOL WATER: FAT AND FICTION

Simon Griffiths takes a look at the research study behind FINA’s controversial ruling on wetsuit use in elite swimming events

LEARNING FEEL FOR THE WATER

Follow Terry Laughlin’s self-sensing and technique based focal points to improve your sensory awareness

CHALLENGE OR THREAT?

Imagine yourself at the start of an open water swimming

POWER UP, POWER DOWN

Fuel your training sessions and outdoor swims and aid your recovery afterwards with these three recipes from Kathy Findlay

GO WILD IN PORTUGAL

Edwina Pitcher, author of the new Wild Guide to Portugal, shares her favourite spots in the wild swimming paradise of Europe.

REVIVING WINTER SWIMMING IN ST PETERSBURG

Roman Karkachev reports on the return of ice swimming to the Peter and Paul Fortress

TO CROSS THY STREAM, BROAD HELLESPONT

For Leander and Hero, love was hell in the Hellespont, but today the Dardanelles offers swimmers a magical journey at the crossroads of east and west, past and present. By Elaine K Howley

LET’S SWIM!

UK AND INTERNATIONAL EVENT LISTINGS

THE GREAT WETSUIT TEST

Not sure what you need in a wetsuit? Outdoor Swimmer editor Jonathan Cowie and contributing editor Alice Gartland tested a range of suits from under £100 to over £500 to find out the best wetsuits on the market for any budget