top of page

IMG_5037

_D0A5555

2024 4K _36

IMG_5037
1/6
Wild Open Swim
Inspirations from swimming through the seasons
The Wild Open Swim Blog is a celebration of open water swimming all year and the photographs, words and artwork that it has inspired.
Be the first to get fresh posts & special offers
Search


Guest
Jan 242 min read
A serene wild swimming adventure
An open water swimmers reveal his experience of swimming the 10K Lock to Lock last year
73


Guest
Jun 3, 20234 min read
More than a swim
I had no idea of what would come of entering the 4K Swim Oxford event in 2015 but 7 years on I would never have thought it so transformative
109


Guest
May 24, 20233 min read
Lock to Lock Champions
Over the years, the Lock to Lock 4K wild swim series has witnessed remarkable achievements from the competitors.
135


Guest
May 5, 20233 min read
The art and challenge of wild swimming
The Lock to Lock wild swim series is not just a competition, but a celebration of the art of swimming and the beauty of the natural world.
144


Ruth Rayner
Mar 3, 20234 min read
1000 consecutive days and more…
Ruth Rayner didn't set out to swim every day for for any particular length of time but somehow it became a way of coping
277


Tony Davis
Jan 11, 20234 min read
Poems from the river
In this post we see the river through the experience of Tony Davis, an Oxfordshire artist, poet and fisherman. Tony was inspired to write...
251


Fred Newton
Sep 30, 20223 min read
Swimrun on the tranquil Thames
Fred Newton from swimrun.com describes the excellent swimrun through Wytham Woods and the tranquil Thames
314


Fiona Undrill
Aug 29, 20228 min read
Campaign to save our rivers & seas
Although we would prefer our articles to reflect the many ways the water helps us, we must acknowledge we swim through the scene of a crime.
228


Annika Surry
Aug 19, 20224 min read
From cold water to open water: the continuing journey
Annike describes her ongoing journey - the evolution she has made from cold water dipper to open water swimmer, and the great benefits felt
2,801


Aerin Bowers
Jul 28, 20223 min read
Lock to Lock Training Adventure
An open water swimmer from Canada shares her experience of a training swim down the Thames, in preparation for the Zurich Marathon Swim.
297


Stanley Ulijaszek
Jul 3, 20225 min read
Blood like the River
Wild-swimmer, Stanley Ulijaszek came perilously close to death when he contracted Weihls disease after swimming in the Thames near London.
385


Darrin Roles
Jun 28, 20223 min read
The Lock to Lock 4k
Images from the Lock to Lock 4k and reflections from the organiser and some partipants.
353


Cassie Patten
May 27, 20225 min read
Don’t be a Drag
Cassie Patten Swim Coach shares her tips on how to be efficient in the water by reducing resistance.
210


Melanie
Feb 12, 20226 min read
A Blind Swimmer’s Vision
What is it like to be a partially-sighted wild swimmer? A double paralympic champion Melanie writes about her wild swimming journey.
761


Debbie, Emma and Darrin
Jan 15, 20226 min read
Every Body Counts
A story of how two wild swimmers in Swim Oxford's 4K Lock-to-Lock swim inadvertently helped to turn around the life of one of my clients.
12,288


Gemma Ferrier, Mel Haward and Lisa Keeping
Dec 5, 20218 min read
The Cool Vibe
The cryo bio of three swimmers reflecting on cold water exposure, what it has meant in their lives and why they keep doing it. Why do I...
489


Fiona Tomlinson
Nov 20, 20214 min read
Wild swimming with teenagers in West Cork, Ireland
There is something about swimming in the sea, something constant and comforting, nostalgic in a way.
3,371


Three wild swimmers: Fiona, Darrin and Kath
Nov 6, 20214 min read
It's beginning to look a bit like winter
Three wild swimmers reflect on the return of winter swims
254


Simon Griffiths
Oct 23, 20215 min read
Lock to Lock SwimRun with Simon Griffiths
Simon Griffiths reflects on his performance at the 2021 Lock to Lock Swimrun
206


Rob.E.Trotter
Oct 9, 20215 min read
To robe or not to robe…
The first part of this article reflects on what draws Wild Swimmers to the robe; the second part offers thoughts about, and experiences...
2,373


Darrin Roles
Sep 26, 20212 min read
Swim-Run 2021 photos from the day
An early misty September morning saw the start of the beautiful Lock to Lock Swim-Run on the banks of the Thames at Eynsham,...
251


Fiona Undrill & Kath Fotheringham
Sep 4, 20218 min read
SwimRun: from the feet up...
Here is a beginners guide to understanding swimrun gear, as well as money-saving suggestions for getting by without the big outlay
630

Chloe De Grave
Aug 15, 20213 min read
Embracing adventure
The events have given me an opportunity to challenge myself, to test my limits, to not overthink it and just embrace the adventure.
112


Laura Watson
Jul 17, 20216 min read
Swimming for life
If I had a daemon I like to think my daemon would be an otter. A rather slow inelegant otter but one who loves the water and is just as...
186
bottom of page