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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.
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A decade of downstream: Reflections from Lock to Lock
Reflecting on the last ten years of the Lock to Lock, what rises to the surface isn’t just the miles swum or the events held, it’s the people, the places, and the quiet power of swimming in nature, together.

Darrin Roles
Apr 112 min read
35 views


I needed a swimming challenge, pronto!
A newbie to long distance swimming Camilla Cresswell reviews her experience of her first 10k Lock to Lock swim down the Thames.

Guest
Mar 144 min read
125 views


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

Guest
Jun 3, 20234 min read
114 views


Lock to Lock Champions
Over the years, the Lock to Lock 4K wild swim series has witnessed remarkable achievements from the competitors.

Guest
May 24, 20233 min read
137 views


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.

Guest
May 5, 20233 min read
147 views


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

Ruth Rayner
Mar 3, 20234 min read
278 views


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...

Tony Davis
Jan 11, 20234 min read
252 views


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

Annika Surry
Aug 19, 20224 min read
2,833 views


The Lock to Lock 4k
Images from the Lock to Lock 4k and reflections from the organiser and some partipants.

Darrin Roles
Jun 28, 20223 min read
365 views


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.

Melanie
Feb 12, 20226 min read
776 views


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.

Debbie, Emma and Darrin
Jan 15, 20226 min read
12,289 views


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...

Gemma Ferrier, Mel Haward and Lisa Keeping
Dec 5, 20218 min read
493 views


Wild swimming with teenagers in West Cork, Ireland
There is something about swimming in the sea, something constant and comforting, nostalgic in a way.

Fiona Tomlinson
Nov 20, 20214 min read
3,468 views


It's beginning to look a bit like winter
Three wild swimmers reflect on the return of winter swims

Three wild swimmers: Fiona, Darrin and Kath
Nov 6, 20214 min read
254 views


Lock to Lock SwimRun with Simon Griffiths
Simon Griffiths reflects on his performance at the 2021 Lock to Lock Swimrun

Simon Griffiths
Oct 23, 20215 min read
206 views


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...

Rob.E.Trotter
Oct 9, 20215 min read
2,378 views


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.

Chloe De Grave
Aug 15, 20213 min read
112 views


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...

Laura Watson
Jul 17, 20216 min read
186 views


Swim the 10k this July: mad fantasy or achievable challenge?
Two swimmers talk through the reasons to do the Lock to Lock 10k this year, or rather one swimmer tries to persuade her friend to join...

Fiona Undrill & Kath Fotheringham
Jun 13, 20215 min read
330 views


Is it clean…?
We all have strategies to risk-assess the water every time we swim. Is it clean enough to swim in?

kath Fotheringham
May 29, 20214 min read
547 views
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