SWIM – Issue 3

We hope you’re loving being in the water right now. As we enter peak summer, with water temperatures creeping up to levels that don’t induce a gasp on entry, this month we highlight the importance of sunscreens and swimwear which don’t damage the environment, and also round-up the hottest city outdoor pools that everyone wants to cool off in.

We can all improve our swimming at any stage of life, even elite athletes, so we continue our series on technique with articles about the importance of streamlining and drafting, plus why staying hydrated and warming up on land will help you swim better. If the idea of butterfly fills you with fear, perhaps our story will encourage you to give it a try or improve your stroke.

Body positivity and mental health are at the forefront of many swimmers’ minds, so we feature stories about the founder of Mental Health Swims, Rachel Ashe, and investigate how to feel better about yourself in a swimsuit and at the poolside. Talking of swimsuits, women’s attire has gone through a revolution over the years, so we look back at the extremes of the Victorian times through to today’s laissez-faire era.

Alice Dearing has unfinished business at the Olympics and we catch up with the classy 10km open-water swimming star to find out how training is going and her path to Paris. We also focus on an iconic long-distance challenge, New Zealand’s Cook Strait, one of the Oceans Seven series.

Finally, we look at why people are falling back in love with lidos and visit Brighton’s brand-new 50-metre beachfront public pool. We went along to the opening of Sea Lanes and found out about this unique training pool, which it’s hoped will become the centre of open-water swimming in the UK.