Unstoppable – VM018 - a podcast by Karen Parry outdoor swimming

This week’s podcast guest has had a year that has changed her life, and wild swimming has been at the heart of it.

After being diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease, Vicky took up swimming having been a runner before. As she is known to be up for a challenge, she was asked to swim a mile in the Serpentine for charity. She threw herself into training for this in a local lake, and absolutely fell in love with wild swimming and found her wild swimming family.

This set off a chain of events that she could never have imagined.

She completed the Serpentine, and applied to be one of the 300 to welcome Ross Edgeley back after his Great British swim by swimming the last mile with him.

She got a place and is still buzzing about the atmosphere that day, about what Ross achieved, and what it meant for her. She firmly believes that we are all capable of far more than we think.

“You can do anything you set your mind to, and you’ve got to go for what you want in life.” Well Vicky certainly did.

This weekend she is with Keri Anne Payne (two-time 10km open water world champion and Olympic silver medallist) doing her outdoor swim coach qualification, and next week she will start work at the very lake she trained for the Serpentine in.

It truly has changed her life.

Vicky says she wants to inspire people to chase their passions. She’s a brilliant guest. Enjoy listening.

Things we talk about

The Serpentine swim, Ross Edgley, Dedham River Swimmers, river Stour, Outdoor swim coach qualification, Red Arrows, London Fields Lido, Durdle Door, total immersion, The Hay Wain, National Trust, Mill to Mill race, Dry Robe, Gosfield lake, Great East swim, Henley swim, Escape from Alcatraz, Sylvia Lacock’s episode, Vicky's company is called Swimspirational



Find Vicky on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

Further episodes of Swim Wild Podcast

Further podcasts by Karen Parry outdoor swimming

Website of Karen Parry outdoor swimming