Dear fellow swimmers
I forgot just how valuable a swimming coach is
Last week I went to see my pal and swim coach, Paul Fowler. Paul and I first met at a cold-water swimming event 10 years ago and we ended up in a relay team when his team needed a female swimmer. I happily agreed , but little did I know how fast the rest of the team were or how competitive. We ended up on the podium in second place and I remember thinking the rest
of the team would have probably been first place if it wasn’t for my slow swimming!
Paul and I have kept in touch ever since, via events, and he has regularly contributed to Outdoor Swimmer, offering valued advice and training articles. He has incredible experience and I've often turned to Paul for all sorts of advice, whether business or
swimming related. He has always been generous in spirit and in sharing his expertise.
Alongside work on the magazine, I coach and teach swimming, I focus a lot on beginner swimmers and those who are starting their open water journeys. As a swimming professional, I am always the first to tell people the value of a coach but until last week, when I went
to see Paul, I forgot just how valuable a decent coach is.
It has been a long time since I actively asked for help with my swimming and after just one session with Paul, I was left wondering what took me so long! This week, for the first time in a really long time, I enjoyed training in a pool. I asked Paul to help me swim faster as I need to be able to
swim a set distance in a set time for a qualification I am working towards. Paul first looked at how I currently swim, because it is always changing. My body, our bodies, change all the time. As we age, if we swim more or less, how and where we swim, health issues, injuries, weight changes and other activities we do, can all have a huge impact on your swim stroke.
Like many coaches, Paul filmed me swimming so he could take me through the feedback with some live examples and then we went over areas to work on. Then later he took the time to put together a four-week training plan. I started this week and while it's tough, it's also brilliant! Having structure to your time in the pool and having a trained coach as your support and cheerleader is the most wonderful thing.
Have you looked at our coaching directory?
At Outdoor Swimmer we work with lots of different coaches and teachers, as well as sharing everything we know from our first-hand experience as coaches ourselves. Simon Griffiths and I are both qualified open water coaches and you can book to us to help you! But did you
also know that we have a coaching directory online?
It's common to think you know how to swim, so a coach would be a waste of time and money. But take it from me, there is always room for work! If you haven’t checked in with a coach, teacher or even a friend to film you swim… perhaps now is the time before the event season arrives! Now is the perfect time to train, improve and set goals.
