UK Cold Water Swimming Championships 2019

Tooting Bec Lido: South London Swimming Club

I am not sure what I was expecting on my first foray into the Open Water Championships. But the reality was amazing. Everything was so organised and helpful especially to a first timer. I signed on in November and did very little preparation, mainly because I didn’t know what to expect. The air temperature was 8°C and mild for January. The water temperature was 3°C – a bit colder…

When I got there with my husband, we enjoyed coffee and cake and saw the pizza stall warming up and the hog roast rotating above the coals. Lots of stalls with swimming related goods for sale at reduced prices. My favourite was the “Selkie swim” tent and I bought a swimsuit there. Also quite a few stalls promoting swim holidays….

I stood beside Andy, hopping about in my mind, whether to do this or not. I hadn’t been in cold water in my skin for two years. I had to decide and stick to it… I got changed and went through the barrier. No turning back now…

I was with a group of seven women, all of us around the same age, and they were very kind to me and encouraging. Half way round, I took off my coat, as I figured I needed to feel some cold. I was very apprehensive and excited at the same time.

At the stop before the last one, we were standing on the pool side and suddenly the sun came out and the beams shone on the surface of the water and also on us. It was a great feeling and I knew and felt that God was encouraging us too… the nervousness abated at that point…

We all got to the last stop and a very kind lady took my bag, to take it round to the opposite side, so I could get it after the swim.

The announcer called us to get it. That was the biggest shock to the body, but not actually that bad.. shoulders under… 3,2,1 go… it was fantastic swimming in that water. It seems to purify and lighten everything. Any body pains disappear and any bad or negative thoughts are gone in a moment. I swam as fast as I could and very quickly the cold didn’t matter at all. My body just seemed to know what to do and it felt powerful and strong to cut through that cold barrier to reach the end.

I felt sorry it was over…  I scrambled out of the water in a very undignified way, and the people on the other side told me I had come second… I was very touched by their kindness.

As I walked to Andy I was glowing and bright red.! I felt good and I felt my whole being had been renewed. He said “Well done..” I went and got changed in the tent, which was beautifully warm and the friendliness of the other swimmers was uplifting.

I am so grateful for today. I have been a woose about the cold water this year, but now I am back on track… I have a new Selkie swimsuit and I’m going to get one of those amazing swim parkas….

“Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land.” Proverbs 25:25