Story
“We want to inspire people of all ages to take part in wild swimming. For many reasons this sport holds a special place in all three of our hearts. It has changed our lives. By swimming different rivers, ponds, lakes and seas we hope to encourage others to live more creatively and to reconnect with the natural world.”
Watch our short film - Swim Wild - created by CLICKON and sponsored by General Tires.
A PLACE TO FEEL AT HOME
There’s something about being in cold water. It’s life’s reset button. A wake-up for the system. A way to root yourself in the moment. And a chance to touch the timeless and very simple joy of being outdoors.
Maybe that’s why the UK has seen such a massive rise in the numbers of people who charge down beachs and bundle themselves into ranks of incoming waves. Outdoor Swimmer reported recently (citing a survey from Sport England) that more than 4.1 million people swam in lakes, lochs, rivers and seas between November 2017-18.
Read our article 50 Reasons To Swim Wild to learn a little more about the physical and mental benefits.
For us, this is personal. As kids, the 3 of us grew up outdoors. We got our shriek-inducing cold water fixes by taking our inflatable crocodile out from the beaches at Tynemouth, exploring tidal pools crowded with hermit crabs at Achnahaird Bay, Scotland, or spending our childhood in Lake District and camping in sheltered Cumbrian forests. It didn’t matter how you did it. It didn’t matter about your size, age or inclinations. You could drop into the water like a falling tree. You could leap and flip under like a dolphin. You could sprawl out on the current like Jungle Book’s Baloo. Or you could throw it all into a frantic sprint of front crawl. The water was just a place you went to escape for a second and to feel good…
In 2013, Robbie swam the 7.3 mile length of Lake Ullswater as part of a locally funded art project. That swim echoed like the blast of a conch shell and set Calum off to hatch his plan for a 9-day homegrown adventure, from the source of the River Eden to its mouth in the Solway Firth. Then came variations of endurance swims, from sprints across Norwegian maelstroms to meanderings down peaceful Scottish Lochs.
So, we’ve taken a love of swimming and a bit of nostalgia to build this events and arts platform. We want to use what we’re learning to motivate you and to promote a life outdoors. This is a place where we’ll offer artwork, books, articles, videos, competitions and opportunities to attend group events with us.
We also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported us this far. From the builders who dragged us out of the Eden and cheered us up to the awesome sponsors who’ve helped to kit us out and keep us going. We will continue to do this for as long as we can and it would all be impossible without you.
Follow the links below to find out more about our adventures.
