Women open water swimming

Monday 8^th March, 8pm: Women open water swimming. Hosted by the Institute for Women’s Health for International Women’s Day.

A growing number of women are turning to open water swimming to enjoy a vibrant community, getting back to nature and the health benefits. We talked to some inspiring women who can tell us all about it.

On the panel were:

Dr Sasha Roseneil, University College London, Pro-Vice-Provost (Equity and Inclusion), Dean of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences and Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science, who gave an introduction to open water swimming.

Dr Ruth Williamson, Radiologist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Dorset, a channel relay and winter swimmer with research interests in the health benefits and risk management of cold water swimming. Ruth gave us some tips on swimming in open water safely and said we should eat cake as it helps restore our glycogen levels. Great news!

Dr Heather Massey, University of Portsmouth, a channel swimmer and ice 1km swimmer and currently researching the physiology of cold water swimming and its impacts on physical and mental health told us about her research on the health benefits of open water swimming.

Rachel Ashe, founder of Mental Health Swims, a community that empowers people of all body shapes, age, colour, background, gender, sexuality and ability, gave an inspiring and personal talk about why she started open water swimming.

Jessica Hepburn, fertility advocate, founder of Fertility Fest, channel swimmer and author of 21 Miles, which is her account of why and how she swam the channel after 11 rounds of unsuccessful IVF. Her swim took 17 hours 44 minutes and 30 seconds.

The event was chaired by Professor Joyce Harper, Institute for Women’s Health at University College London, author of Your Fertile Years and a novice open water swimmer.

Social media contacts for the speakers:

Sasha – twitter – @SashaRoseneil
Heather – instagram – @DrHeatherMassey
Rachel – instagram – littlegreenshootproject and @mentalhealthswims
Jessica – twitter – @JessicaPursuit and instagram – @jessica_hepburn_
Joyce – twitter and instagram @profjoyceharper

Image is Heather Massey

The recording of the event can be watched here.

Swimming groups
Outdoor swimming society
Black Swimming Association
The Bluetits. The Bluetit mission is to create a confident, capable community through cold water swimming and adventures. No club fees, registration, rules, requirements, expectations. We are an informal group of mixed gender people who just like to swim together.

Open water films

HYDROTHERAPY. Overcoming a life changing illness through wild swimming, 6 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oe5Qnip9Bs

Sea birds – 9 mins
https://vimeo.com/456402188?fbclid=IwAR37rXhDyu3uHyJDbJzS8cbQtQIH1PhvsjA4NLoOpel8FHIZ_2XqgCaAqXY

Irish ladies can’t skip a day without swimming in cold sea water // The most liberating thing to do, 6 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFb7_axctU4&list=PLkCsw5BTliAZsPkuEoQl4BOVxoMOv8tGA&index=5

Tonic of the Sea – Wild Swimming mini documentary, 8 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvViuv0vIKU&list=PLkCsw5BTliAZsPkuEoQl4BOVxoMOv8tGA&index=3

Chasing the sublime, 6 mins 40 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB3THSHPLuQ&list=PLkCsw5BTliAZsPkuEoQl4BOVxoMOv8tGA&index=4

The Merthyr Mermaid, BBC documentary, 30 mins
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000qnb4/the-merthyr-mermaid

Against the tides, documentary about Beth French, Ocean 7s swim, available on Sky, 1 hour 27 mins
https://www.againstthetidesfilm.com/trailer

Wild swim, 3 mins – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW3lclU5j24&list=PLkCsw5BTliAZsPkuEoQl4BOVxoMOv8tGA&index=8

Cold Water Swimming Webinar with Prof Mike Tipton & Dr Heather Massey (Jan 2021), 1 hour 10 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1axP_prHezY&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3wGefIQV6HjuhyY2y6RkemAenfXqMtMeG9Y4PVHDAQTggoCcnW2P8S1qQ

ShAFF Online – Rachel Ashe – founder of Mental Health Swims
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yejDfcU7BtM

Swimming in Reservoirs and Rivers, Suzie Wheway & Lance Sagar – ShAFF Online, 1.5 hours
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaIhkwV9GB0

Body of water trailer, 2 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUfhg8iw1BA

Open water swimming books

21 Miles – Jessica Hepburn

Waterlog – Roger Deakin

The book of trespass – Nick Hayes

The Mindful Art of Wild Swimming: Reflections for Zen Seekers (Mindfulness series) – Tessa Wardley

Leap In: A Woman, Some Waves, and the Will to Swim – Alexandra Heminsley

Swell A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening Liz Clark

Dip: Wild Swims from the Borderlands, Andrew Fusek Peters

Swimming with seals – Victoria Whitworth

Floating: A Return to Waterlog –  Joe Minihane 

Taking the Plunge: The Healing Power of Wild Swimming for Mind, Body and Soul – Anna Deacon

I found my tribe – Ruth Fitzmaurice

Sea swim – John Wedgewood Clarke