The First Step On Land - Victory At Sea

Nejib Belhedi of Tunisia wrote a beautiful poem about open water swimmers who make their first step on land after a long swim traversing across the immense sea space:

Neither the strong currents stop him,
Nor the wide sea immensity downs him,

Nor then the media would be unfair for him,
He continues his swim quietly and patiently,

He loves swimming and it's a lifestyle with respect to nature as a principle for him,
Whenever he thinks, the sea waves dedicate a blue melody for him,

A big bang from the dark depth of the sea blesses him:
When large waves wake up, the breeze pools bend in reverence before him!
And never the tree hiding the forest!

It’s a question of ‘To be or not to be’ for him!
The Open Water Swimming Home is faithful.

They never forgets its free swimmers,
We see his arms thank the waves across each meter he swims.
It’s already a prelude to a new victory for him.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source

Experience And Limitations In The Open Water

International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame pilot Michael Oram tells it like it is...always. He encourages and teaches English Channel aspirants to prepare well, hope for the best and place their trust in the decades of experience the English Channel pilots have in getting swimmers safely across to France.

Michael never pulls his punch or soft sells the sport. His words go straight to the gut - which is exactly what English Channel aspirants need to hear, especially for those who have not put in the years building up their experiences in shorter swims.

As Michael reminds the swimmers, "The words you all need to keep in your mind are --
Experience is something you usually gain, just after you need it. Know your limitations before you exceed them, as you will have to exceed them to achieve."

In online and face-to-face discussions with veterans and newcomers alike, Michael shares gems of wisdom as a result of having planned, plotted and escorted hundreds of swimmers across the Channel, from those who are up there in their years and a bit slower to world record holder Petar Stoychev. "Channel swimming is not a comparison sport; they did it, so I can, is not the correct approach. It's a personal challenge, you against yourself with all the help you can get along the way."

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source

The World Is Being Represented In The Open Water

With speakers from Penny Dean, who held the overall English Channel record for 19 years, to the remarkable Anne Marie Ward, there will be many luminaries at the Global Open Water Swimming Conference in New York. Anne Marie will talk about swimming across the toughest channel swim in the world - the North (Irish) Channel - an always cold, rough swim across a sea of jellyfish.

But Anne Marie's road to the other side was never, ever easy. Her quest to join one of the most elite and exclusive marathon clubs in the world - the 11 members of the North (Irish) Channel club - took years of preparation and sacrifice. And her commitment paid off last summer when her never-say-never 18 hour 59 minute effort on her fourth attempt courageously ended in darkness at 3:35 am.

And her story goes deeper. For every person who wishes to be in better physical shape, for every person who works too much and exercises too little, Anne Marie's story is inspirational to hear. Prior to her successes, Anne Marie had to reverse her previously unhealthful lifestyle - never an easy change of lifestyle.

Starting humbly and simply with a 2-mile charity swim, Anne Marie is now deservedly recognized by her peers and honored for reaching the pinnacle of her sport.

Kieran Fitzgerald recalls, "What a lot of people don't know about is about her first attempt in August where she swam for four hours in darkness in horrendous jellyfish conditions. She was swung with over two hundred stings and had to be hospitalized."

Her story and how she embodies the spirit of open water swimming and possesses the sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance that open water swimmers are known for, will be heard by participants coming from Canada, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Japan, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, South Africa, Turks & Caicos, Tunisia, Spain and across the United States.

It is a celebration of the sport that should not be missed.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source

Cara Baker Striving To Realize Her Open Water Dreams

Cara Baker of New Zealand is one of the top marathon swimmers in the world, but needs the help of the global open water swimming community.

Vote for her here in the AMP People's Choice Awards which helps New Zealanders realize their dreams.

Cara works hard, sacrifices on a daily basis and is fully committed to her sport - everything the sport asks of its next generation of leaders and top athletes.

Help her fulfill her dream. She is shown on left in one of her AquaDiva swimsuits and winning the State Ocean Swim Harbour Crossing event in New Zealand. Vote here.



Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source