Outdoor Swimmer Magazine May 22 Back Issue

Can you remember the first time you plunged into wild water? Or maybe you are haunted by the first swimming event you entered? What about learning to swim, was it as a child or more recently as an adult?
Once we have mastered a skill it is often difficult to remember how hard it was starting out but there are more new outdoor swimmers than ever, in fact 19% of swimmers we recently surveyed said they started outdoor swimming in the last 12 months and 40% started in the last two years. This month we meet some new faces in the water, either as new swimmers or with new ventures in the industry.
My first swimming event was a disaster, I had to walk the last 400 metres to the finish line. It spurred me on to improve my stroke to return to the same event the following year. Back then there wasn’t much guidance or support for events, I have learnt so much from Outdoor Swimmer Publisher and Founder Simon Griffiths and now you can too, his new book Swim Wild and Free is out this month. Simon also features in our Swimterview this issue.
Meanwhile as the world is crumbling it is hard to focus on the basics like swimming, so I found Elaine K Howley’s piece on Ukraine poignant. Of course, all we can do in times of difficulty is be grateful for all we have and just keep swimming.
Enjoy the issue,
Ella Foote
Editor