Esme came to GoodSwim with a love for the water but wanting to progress from breaststroke and become more efficient in her freestyle stroke. Also wanting to become more relaxed and comfortable in open/ocean water.

​Need to get more confident in the ocean – contact Goodswim today and chat to Linda about a tailor made solution.

What was your swim ability before you started swimming with GoodSwim?
I am a breaststroke swimmer who loves ocean swimming, I wanted to learn freestyle (the crawl) having stopped at some point as a kid. I had previously learned a few pointers at a few group lessons elsewhere however my confidence was low and I needed someone to really look at what I was doing and needed to do. 

How did you feel after your first few sessions?
My first lesson I was nervous and embarrassed, I’m not very good with direct attention especially relating to athletics. It was exactly what was needed though. The first thing that Linda did was enable my confidence as a swimmer, highlighting my strengths and investigating areas for improvement. The classes were challenging in the best possible way and I could feel myself improving.

How did GoodSwim help you on your swim journey?
I feel that I have been given excellent tools to help me become a better swimmer and have valued all of my swim lessons and ocean time with GoodSwim. Linda is supportive whilst being analytical so my stroke and ability are continually improving. GoodSwim is an extremely apt name both the lessons and regarding becoming a (better) swimmer. 

What was a breakthrough/stand out moment for you?
Linda asked me when moving from oceans pools into the open water, can you feel it when you move into a current, I couldn’t I was still thinking about too many things, other swimmers, the massive waves, the open water, where the shore was, sea life, my breath, my arms, my legs, my body in the water, my foggy goggles, a rogue swim cap and my ability. I love it now when that’s all I feel, I’m moving through the current swimming. It's not all time, it's just a really lovely moment.

Do you have a goal or personal achievement you are working for in 2020?
I still have work to do on becoming the capable swimmer I want to be, I’m focusing on technique, fitness and confidence all of the time, as an adult learner slow and steady is ok by me. Then it's time to join some open water swimmers freestyle. ​

What was your swim ability before you started swimming with GoodSwim?
I could only swim the normal breaststroke but wasn’t able to do a good chest crawl.
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How did you feel after your first few sessions?
After the very first lesson I already felt so much improvement and was sure I was able to learn it in a relatively short period.

How did GoodSwim help you on your swim journey?
Linda is such a fun, lovely woman who has a lot of patience and she has so many good tips. That helped me a lot.

What was a breakthrough/stand out moment for you?
That I felt that I was a much faster swimmer and it cost me less effort than a normal breaststroke.

Do you have a goal or personal achievement you are working for in 2020?
I have not yet set a goal for 2020 as my reason for taking the swimming lessons was mainly to gain skills and use it to improve my paddling for surfing. When there’s no surf I can always decide now to swim instead!

So what are some of those benefits...

• Turning up to a new outdoor swimming spot is much more stimulating than simply sliding into the local indoor pool for another monotonous 60 laps. By searching for new and unexplored places, you’ll add a sense of adventure and reward to your workout.
• Spending time in nature is proven to reduce stress levels and reduce your risk of developing depression and mental illness, taking your workout outside is the best way to be kind to both body and mind.
• Pushing yourself to perform in different conditions will force your body to adapt quickly. The cold will make breathing more difficult, forcing you to optimise what little oxygen you can take in, making you adapt to stressful conditions. Going back into the local indoor pool will be a piece of cake in comparison.
• According to research published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, regular cold water immersion helps boost your body’s levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which in turn helps regulate the process of all other antioxidants in the body, helping to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.
• According to Rude Health’s Outdoor Swimming Society, swimming in cold water increases blood flow throughout the body, which in turn helps improve circulation, allowing inflamed areas to heal more quickly, thereby reducing pain. The same principal can be applied by alternatively bathing an injured area in hot and cold water, the difference is, not only is this method more fun, you’ll hopefully avoid injury in the first place altogether.
• Much how running undulating courses burns more calories and forces your body to adapt to different conditions and surfaces, taking your swim to the outdoors forces your body to work harder. Not only will you be burning calories to keep warm, tides, wind and obstacles naturally make it a harder session.

Most important: 
When doing your surf check ask yourself before you head into the waves… ‘if my leash breaks out the back, could I swim in safely and confidently?’ We all like to challenge ourselves and push our surfing ability to help improve but safety first. You could be putting yourself in danger and/or others who try to help you.