Episode 3 – Swim Friends (DL003) - a podcast by Karen Parry outdoor swimming

My friend is the self-appointed weather god.

Which is great because she is my swim friend.

In actual fact, she is my swim sister. Swim friends have the habit of quickly ingratiating themselves and suddenly becoming family. That’s who Denz is for me – my swim sister and the Swim Wild podcast episode 3 guest.

And thank god she is the weather god. We swim together fairly regularly. And I want the weather I want. I want calm seas. Or a thin layer of ice. Or a foot of snow on the ground. Or a fine day so we can complete our 10km hike in the dry to the lake where we will jump in and get wet.

Swim friends are a particular brand of friend. There is more laughing somehow. And definitely more cake. There are trips away. Shared events. Communal flashing as we struggle to get dressed at the side of a road in Cheshire.

In episode 3, Denz talks about camaraderie being the main motivating factor for doing anything swimming related. It’s the trip and the company and the craic she goes along for. Not the event, the distance, the hat, the medal or the t-shirt. In fact, she doesn’t even need to do the swim.

Last weekend Denz came to Wales with me, to provide much needed moral support when I got cold feet about the Aberdovey swim. She came to registration and enquired about any available spaces. At that time there weren’t any, and she looked elated! At 10am when a space had been allocated to her, she looked significantly less enthusiastic!

This is the friend who did a swim just to support me. This is the friend who, in her interview, tells me I don’t hold myself in high enough esteem. This is the friend who said my swim was a good effort. It’s such a privilege to have friends like that – who just come out and say and do stuff designed solely to make me feel better about myself.

That’s a swimming friend.

My swimming friends are only competitive with themselves. They don’t care if their fellow swimmers wear wetsuits or skins. They don’t look down on you for wearing neoprene gloves and feet. They don’t care if you dip for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. They just celebrate it all with you. With cake.

One of the most important things I’ve gained through wild swimming has been the friendship of other wild swimmers.

I hope you enjoy this episode. It’s two friends drinking wine, laughing and chatting.

And if anyone knows why Denz can see the capillaries in her retinas when she is swimming, let us know!



Places we mention

Wellington college swimming pool, Derwentwater, Gallway diving decks, Knock airport, Forty foot, Dublin, Cadair Idris, Llyn Cau, Lofoten islands, Bala, the Blue Pool at Friog, Barmouth, Colonsay, Jura, Hatchmere, Hanmer, Rydal water, lake Atitlan, Guatemala



Events we mention

Chillswim, Chillswim event on You Tube, Killary fjord swim, Aberdovey swim



Groups we mention

#ChesterFrosties



Other stuff we mention

Youth Hostel Association, Cold Water Tourettes, Ireland outdoor swimming, Irish weather forecaster on You Tube



  

Further episodes of Swim Wild Podcast

Further podcasts by Karen Parry outdoor swimming

Website of Karen Parry outdoor swimming