How to return to long-distance swimming after a break | An evening with Jasmine Harrison | Can a swan break your arm?
Published: Sat, 03/11/23
Your essential weekly edit of outdoor swimming
YOUR ESSENTIAL WEEKLY EDIT OF OUTDOOR SWIMMING
#swimwildandfree
Dear fellow swimmers
For many of us, after some promising signs of spring, it feels like winter has returned with a vengeance. At least that gave me a chance to swim in the snow, something that doesn’t happen very often, and makes for a memorable dip. I am, however, looking forward to warmer weather and longer swims. I was also racing in the pool (indoors, in the warm) last weekend, doing
50m sprints in all four competitive strokes. It’s such a different experience to open water events – but fun, too. It brings home the wide range of activities you can do with swimming, and I encourage you to try as many of them as you can.
On Thursday, we held a virtual subscriber event with Karen Eva Carr, author of Shifting Currents: A World History of Swimming. It was fascinating to hear how the current wave of enthusiasm for outdoor swimming fits in a historical context. I didn’t know, for instance, that archaeological evidence shows that Neanderthals dived for clams, and a form of front crawl has probably been around for thousands of years. We’ll post a recording of the event soon,
but in the meantime look out for her book – it’s on my reading list! Also this week, to mark International Women's Day, we released our conversation with Jasmine Harrison
who became the first woman to swim the entire length of the UK.
Finally, after a three-year gap, I’m delighted to see that the Brownsea Island Swim is returning this year. It’s a fantastic and unique swim – raising money to support RLSS Poole Lifeguard – and I’m sure that tickets will sell out within minutes when they go on sale tomorrow at 6pm.
Last summer, Jasmine Harrison became the first woman to swim the entire length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats – encountering dolphins, whirlpools, strong tides and swells, and NATO’s biggest firing practice of the past decade. Watch our conversation with Jasmine, filmed as part of our Patron virtual event.
After a period of time swimming simply for pleasure, Editor Ella Foote has decided it’s time to take on some more challenging swims. Here, she asks swimming coach Cassie Patten to share tips for how to return to long-distance swimming after a break.
OUR BODY, OUR SWIM – Swimwear designed to support all body shapes from
Zoggs
When it comes to swimwear, everybody has different needs and concerns. We put your questions to Zoggs designers Giorgia and Margot to help you find your perfect swimsuit.
Read on
to learn what to look for when buying your next cossie!
NEW STUDLAND BAY ECO-MOORINGS TO PROTECT SEAGRASS
MEADOWS AND SEAHORSES
The Studland Bay Marine Partnership has successfully raised the £66,000 needed to install 22 eco-moorings, sustainable alternatives to anchors that protect Studland’s seagrass meadows and seahorses.
What is it about swimwear that often sends us spiralling? And why is body positivity such an important topic for swimmers? In the run up to her ‘Body Kindness and Swimsuit Making’ workshop this April, we spoke to Body Image, Mindset and Blue Health Coach, Claudine Nightingill-Rane about how she brings water and swimming
into her practice.
Sleep easy, your arms are safe. Dan Keel, author of Swan: Portrait of a Majestic Bird: From Mythical Meanings to the Modern Day, answers this pressing question for lake and river swimmers.
March 2023 – HEMISPHERES | Read it on digital or in print from anywhere in the world. Purchase a single issue or subscribe to a monthly magazine and save up 20% each month.
NEWS BALL GOWNS ON THE BEACH FOR THE FINALE OF THIS YEAR’S FROSTBITE CHALLENGE
To celebrate the third year of Julie Harrington’s Frostbite Challenge, 35 “biters” braved the cold at Lulworth Cove wearing finery inspired by a “Ball Gowns on the Beach,
Tuxedos with the Tide” fancy dress theme.
Boost your
confidence as you launch into open water swimming! The new Orca Zeal Hi-Vis wetsuit offers the perfect combination of buoyancy, elasticity, visibility and thermal insulation, for complete confidence in the water.
COMPETITION WIN THE ULTIMATE OPEN WATER BUNDLE (WORTH OVER £600)!
We’ve teamed up with our friends at Henley Swim, Outdoor Swimmer Shop, Swim Secure and Selkie to offer you a chance of winning a comprehensive open water package, just in time for the new season!
