I’ve enjoyed outdoor swimming for a couple of years but have never participated in any events.  I felt that they would be too competitive and would lessen the joy I feel when bobbing about in the water.

Last September, I went on a swimming and yoga weekend, organised by Vicky, from Swimspirational Open Water Coaching.  There I met women who had completed some incredible swims – Coniston, Ullswater End to End as well as many of the Henely Swim events.  These were normal women, juggling busy lives like me, not athletes with a single focus on training.  They spoke of the wonderful atmosphere at these events, the friendliness of the other participants and of course, the sense of personal achievement.  Inspired, I started looking for an event that I could enter. 

Unfortunately, 3 lots of Covid and 2 rounds of chicken pox in the house somewhat took my eye off the ball until earlier this year, when Vicky posted details of the This Girl Can competition to our Facebook group.  Immediately, my focus returned and the support package offered to the winners made it all the more appealing. I decided that this was my event and sent in my entry.  I didn’t expect to win a place in what I’m sure was a hugely popular competition, but I started swimming regularly in my local pool and had a few more front crawl lessons, just in case….

It was a Friday afternoon when I got the call to tell me that I’d won a place and I think I felt every emotion that evening and weekend – elation and excitement of course, but also nervousness and apprehension.  Could I really swim a whole mile?  What if I let everyone down? Did I have the time to put the training in?  Was I overthinking this?  Of course I was!

As part of our ‘support package’ the team at Henley Swim have given us a 12 week training programme.  My first ‘proper’ training swim was on Sunday at Silver Lake, a new swimming lake in Essex, again with a group organised by Vicky from Swimspirational.  Ordinarily, I would have swum in skins (without a wetsuit) and enjoyed the scenery and chat with a gentle, head out, sociable breaststroke.  Not this time – now I am a woman on a mission and it was head down front crawl all the way.  Well, until I got wheezy from having my face in 10 degree water and trying to breathe whilst wearing a wetsuit!  My Garmin didn’t record the distance accurately, but that doesn’t matter because I’ve made a start and I’ve started like I mean to carry on – with a sense of achievement and pride for just getting out there and doing it.