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A Sea Swimmer in June

Posted on by Ian Cross
June discovers a new approach to front crawl and takes it into open water.

I came to stay at Croft Farm 2 years ago wanting to be able to swim freestyle – and to actually enjoy swimming!

I’m a runner who was going through a period of not being able to run and wanted to use swimming for cross-training purposes.   But I didn’t know how to swim front crawl, and breaststroke didn’t feel right with my knee injury.  So I came to Ian and Cheryl looking to learn how to swim for fitness… but discovered there is another way!

When I arrived I could already happily put my face in the water etc – but swimming made me breathe hard and I was ‘end-gaining’ – it was all a bit physical!!

The enjoyment benefits were immediate and enduring.

Now, two years later,  I very much enjoy swimming, so much so that I wanted to be confident enough to swim outdoors…

And that is coming into place this year – I swam in Anglesey on a yoga and wild swimming weekend. And this video was me today in a tidal pool in Cliftonville, near Margate in Kent…

Thank you for helping me to get to this place!

September 2019, Update 2 years on

I may not be fast, or technically very good, but I am a swimmer.  I used to be too scared to enjoy being in the water.

Lessons with Ian and Cheryl at Croft Farm changed how I feel about floating, getting a breath, allowed me to experience that sensation which now feels like flying!  I thank them both sincerely for the gift which keeps on giving 🙂

And so I have evolved into an outdoor swimmer.  It makes me feel intensely alive and ready to cope with anything.

I started in earnest last summer.  Went through my first winter, ’skins’ swimming in the sea – well, dipping rather than swimming really! And I have found a lake not too far from home for lovely fresh water swims.  Nowadays I choose holiday destinations which give me chances to try new rivers, lakes, beaches.

I used to think outdoor swimmers were a bit mad, or built of sterner stuff than me. I am happy to have found I am just like them!

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