More than a swim
I had no idea of what would come of entering the 4K Swim Oxford event in 2015 but 7 years on I would never have thought it so transformative
top of page
IMG_5037
_D0A5555
2024 4K _36
IMG_5037
1/6
Wild Open Swim
Inspirations from swimming through the seasons
The Wild Open Swim Blog is a celebration of open water swimming all year and the photographs, words and artwork that it has inspired.
Be the first to get fresh posts & special offers
Search
Guest
May 24, 20233 min read
Lock to Lock Champions
Over the years, the Lock to Lock 4K wild swim series has witnessed remarkable achievements from the competitors.
127 views
Guest
May 5, 20233 min read
The art and challenge of wild swimming
The Lock to Lock wild swim series is not just a competition, but a celebration of the art of swimming and the beauty of the natural world.
139 views
Ruth Rayner
Mar 3, 20234 min read
1000 consecutive days and more…
Ruth Rayner didn't set out to swim every day for for any particular length of time but somehow it became a way of coping
277 views
Annika Surry
Aug 19, 20224 min read
From cold water to open water: the continuing journey
Annike describes her ongoing journey - the evolution she has made from cold water dipper to open water swimmer, and the great benefits felt
2,711 views
Aerin Bowers
Jul 28, 20223 min read
Lock to Lock Training Adventure
An open water swimmer from Canada shares her experience of a training swim down the Thames, in preparation for the Zurich Marathon Swim.
289 views
Stanley Ulijaszek
Jul 3, 20225 min read
Blood like the River
Wild-swimmer, Stanley Ulijaszek came perilously close to death when he contracted Weihls disease after swimming in the Thames near London.
381 views
Darrin Roles
Jun 28, 20223 min read
The Lock to Lock 4k
Images from the Lock to Lock 4k and reflections from the organiser and some partipants.
342 views
Melanie
Feb 12, 20226 min read
A Blind Swimmer’s Vision
What is it like to be a partially-sighted wild swimmer? A double paralympic champion Melanie writes about her wild swimming journey.
741 views
Debbie, Emma and Darrin
Jan 15, 20226 min read
Every Body Counts
A story of how two wild swimmers in Swim Oxford's 4K Lock-to-Lock swim inadvertently helped to turn around the life of one of my clients.
12,283 views
Gemma Ferrier, Mel Haward and Lisa Keeping
Dec 5, 20218 min read
The Cool Vibe
The cryo bio of three swimmers reflecting on cold water exposure, what it has meant in their lives and why they keep doing it. Why do I...
484 views
Fiona Tomlinson
Nov 20, 20214 min read
Wild swimming with teenagers in West Cork, Ireland
There is something about swimming in the sea, something constant and comforting, nostalgic in a way.
3,310 views
Three wild swimmers: Fiona, Darrin and Kath
Nov 6, 20214 min read
It's beginning to look a bit like winter
Three wild swimmers reflect on the return of winter swims
253 views
Simon Griffiths
Oct 23, 20215 min read
Lock to Lock SwimRun with Simon Griffiths
Simon Griffiths reflects on his performance at the 2021 Lock to Lock Swimrun
205 views
Rob.E.Trotter
Oct 9, 20215 min read
To robe or not to robe…
The first part of this article reflects on what draws Wild Swimmers to the robe; the second part offers thoughts about, and experiences...
2,345 views
Chloe De Grave
Aug 15, 20213 min read
Embracing adventure
The events have given me an opportunity to challenge myself, to test my limits, to not overthink it and just embrace the adventure.
109 views
Laura Watson
Jul 17, 20216 min read
Swimming for life
If I had a daemon I like to think my daemon would be an otter. A rather slow inelegant otter but one who loves the water and is just as...
184 views
Fiona Undrill & Kath Fotheringham
Jun 13, 20215 min read
Swim the 10k this July: mad fantasy or achievable challenge?
Two swimmers talk through the reasons to do the Lock to Lock 10k this year, or rather one swimmer tries to persuade her friend to join...
318 views
kath Fotheringham
May 29, 20214 min read
Is it clean…?
We all have strategies to risk-assess the water every time we swim. Is it clean enough to swim in?
541 views
Stanley Ulijaszek
May 6, 20213 min read
Swimmingpod podcast: Darrin Roles & the Lock to Lock swim events
In this podcast Darrin Roles talks about the Lock-to-Lock swim series in the Thames, Oxfordshire, its origins and its development.
114 views
bottom of page