Story

There’s something special about being in water…

For the Wild Swimming Brothers, this feeling goes back to childhood. Robbie, Jack and Calum grew up outdoors, finding their cold-water fixes on beaches at Tynemouth, in the tidal pools of Scotland’s Achnahaird Bay, and the wintry tarns and cascades of Cumbria’s Lake District. It didn’t matter how you entered the water - the important thing was simply getting in, escaping for a moment and feeling good.

In 2013, Robbie swam the 7.3-mile length of Lake Ullswater as part of a locally funded art project. That swim sparked Calum’s idea for a much bigger adventure: a nine-day, 90-mile journey down the River Eden, from its peaty Yorkshire source to the Solway Firth. After that, the brothers began taking on increasingly unusual endurance swims - from peaceful Scottish lochs to some of the world's most powerful tidal maelstroms.

Their adventures have included being dunked in Scotland’s notorious Corryvreckan whirlpool, battling Norway’s Saltstraumen and Moskstraumen, crossing the Hellespont between Europe and Asia, and winding down the 8-mile-length of Loch Broom. Along the way, they have used swimming to explore wild landscapes from a completely different perspective.

Through these extraordinary swims, the brothers gain inspiration for books, articles, artwork, photography, films, talks and events - they share what they have learned and encourage others to create their own adventures and spend more time outdoors. Jack's first book, Swim Wild, tells the story of their childhood, training and earliest expeditions. You can also check out their 50 Reasons to Start Swimming Wild to learn more about the physical and mental benefits of getting into open water.

Today, the Wild Swimming Brothers platform has evolved to cultivate events and creative projects around a simple belief: you don't need to be an elite adventurer to experience the joy of wild swimming or reconnect with nature. Whether it’s a leap into the sea, a swim across a lake or simply exploring somewhere new, the water is an invitation to escape the everyday and feel part of the outdoors.

The brothers continue to share their adventures through artwork, books, articles, videos, competitions and group events - forever grateful to the friends, supporters, sponsors and communities who helped make their adventures possible.