“I was inspired to join gA when I saw Esther and other gA members swimming at the SHAC. I was curious about Esther’s gA t-shirt! We talked and I joined to improve my technique. Also, I hoped I could become a better swimmer and perhaps cross the English Channel one day – like the other ladies who were training with the swim club.
“I really like swimming outdoors in open water. I do my training sessions are in the pool and really benefit from those sessions, but after swimming outdoors, the indoor pool is like a fish tank 😉.
“I swam outdoors at Tooting Lido for many years, but I wanted to do more in the open water. I feared getting disoriented in a lake so I started SUP at the SHAC (Surrey Hills Adventure Company) and talked myself into swimming there (I talk a lot to myself!). Oh, I loved it! It made me feel alive. Inside my body, inside my skin if that makes sense?!
“The swim training sessions were the highlights of my week last year, all through the winter. Wet days? Well.... we get wet anyway! Cold? Even better. Swim training sessions were mini-holidays and helped me to put my work life in perspective.
“With the support of gA, I’ve been able to swim in the sea, despite being scared of the waves. I still don’t like it, but I have managed to go swimming in the sea when it is choppy despite my fears. I remember saying to Esther ‘I don't like it....’ during a training session. Esther said ‘imagine the waves are massaging your body’. I went back into the water with a new mantra in mind ‘it is just a massage...’
“As our Swimventure 2023 has been postponed to summer 2024, my fitness goals for the coming months are to keep on swimming, and work towards swimming a bit faster.”
Join Renata and our swimmers for coached sessions in the pool on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings, and at the SHAC on Sunday and Tuesday mornings… See Spond for more details and to sign up.