Open Water Swimming - Post Injury.

Written Jan 2018

Swimming, in particular, open water swimming was an important part of my recovery. Swimming was something which I enjoyed as part of being an able-bodied triathlete. However, most of my time was spent in a pool, swimming outside took on a new significance once I became *injured.

I enjoyed being in a swimming pool, but I can now see that for me it holds some limitations. Periodically, I would get ill swimming indoors which is no surprise really considering all the people who swim in them and the way they heat pool areas. Amusingly I now view ‘tumble turners’ differently too, quite simply they are cheating. How can you claim to be swimming a whole length when most of it is spent gliding after kicking off? Clearly, jealousy on my part, to be fair I could never master that skill very well anyway.

Whilst I was at Headley Court we had a new gym facility built, the pool became a key part of my rehabilitation programme. In fact, I would sneak up to the pool after lunch early so I could get in some extra laps. Soon I was strong enough to drive down to Heron Lake a popular open water swimming area near Staines, Surrey. Heron Lake is one of the British Disabled Water-ski and Wakeboard centres, when it is not being used to water ski on it is used throughout the season by open water swimmers.

I remember my first seasons there, which are generally from May to September. I could only manage maybe one or two loops, although there was clearly a physical element to swimming there was also a physiological benefit too. Socially I was making new friends, at the time I didn’t realise it but my mental health was profiting positively as well.

Heron Lake is literally just off the M25, sometimes I take a moment whilst I’m out on the water to have look at what the traffic is doing, more often than not it’s backed up in both directions. It gives me some smug satisfaction to think that I’m in the lake and not sat frustrated in my car. I wonder if some of them wish they could join me for a dip. Being able to share the joy of this amazing experience is important of who I am. I want everyone to have a go at least once.

I have been swimming at Heron Lake for many years, although it is a bit of a trek from my home in Hampshire I’ll always try and swim there if I can. This lake has to lead to many life-changing opportunities. Over the years I have swum in so many different places all over the United Kingdom. This sport has encouraged me to enter some incredible races too. Swimming the Brownsea Island race several times was an eye-opener, to entering the Dart 10Km and then completing the Windermere One Way, which is an 11-mile swim from the southern tip all the way to the northern shores, an amazing event in Cumbria which is in the north of England.

I’m not sure I could do without open water swimming now, it really is part of my life.

*I lost both my legs after activating an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, October 2009.