Swimmer's Daily

  • Miller Swim School says drownings on the rise

  • Extreme sportsman Ross Edgley is aiming to swim all the way around Britain’s coastline without touching dry land once. It’ll take 100 days and he’ll burn 1 million calories during his 2000-mile venture which, if all goes well will end in London on the 8th of September. In a recent swim he managed to get trench foot after swimming for 48 hours non-stop.

  • Get Fired up for the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships July 25 -29 in Irvine, Cal. Get tickets now to watch the fastest swimmers in the nation attempt to qualify for the Pan Pacific Championships

  • A 51-year-old French-born adventurer began an attempt to swim across the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, saying his endurance odyssey is also intended to focus world attention on environmental challenges, like the plastics that are contaminating the world’s oceans.

    Benôit “Ben” Lecomte entered the water in Choshi, Japan, aiming to reach San Francisco about six months from now, after a swim estimated at 5,500 miles.

    Lecomte said he is undertaking the expedition as a kind of existential challenge and to help publicize threats like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — the vast expanse of man-made pollution that fouls that ocean. A website for the journey called the Longest Swimpromises groundbreaking studies into the health of phytoplankton, the impact of radioactive fallout from the Fukushima nuclear accident, and the results of sea life making a home on plastic debris.

    See NBC News

  • Northern California voters have removed a judge from office over a controversial sentencing decision, according to an Associated Press projection. Judge Aaron Persky was targeted for giving a short jail sentence to Brock Turner, a former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexual assault with the intent to commit rape. John Blackstone reports.

  • Taking part in Great North Swim, 8-10 June? Check out the official weather forecast brought to you by the Met Office.

  • No matter the weather, the water is where Madison Huertas wants to be.

    “It’s so relaxing to me, almost calming, because when you’re in the water, you don’t have to think about anything else,” said Huertas.

    But Huertas, 13, is one thoughtful kid. She learned to swim just a few years ago after she was inspired by watching Missy Franklin compete in the 2012 Olympics.

    “I was afraid of the water until I was 8 years old,” Huertas said.

    Now, she is a competitive swimmer, and she has another mission to get other kids and grown-ups to learn how to be safe in the pool.

    She has launched a public campaign, writing articles, and she plans to start a non-profit to help with swim lessons and advocate for lifeguards at apartment pools.

    “Every time I turn on the news, [I see] another drowning in an apartment complex,” said Huertas.

    See WFAA

  • Inverurie-raised Hannah Miley will take on Survivex’s helicopter escape training programme in September for stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands.

    The organisation is currently collecting donations to create a new bereavement suite in Aberdeen.

    Miss Miley was inspired to take up the challenge by her dad Patrick, who was a helicopter pilot for 27 years.

    She said: “I hugely admire all helicopter pilots – especially those who fly out to the oilrigs every day in all weather conditions.

    “In their honour I would like to put myself through this training and to challenge myself to experience it first-hand.”

    The HUET training will involve a series of helicopter ditching scenarios with the level of difficulty stepped up each round.

    A wave machine, gale-force winds and total blackouts will all be simulated to make the experience as realistic as possible.

    But while the 28-year-old has been active in the pool since she was a toddler, and has racked up a series of world championship and Commonwealth medals, Miss Miley admits that the task ahead will not be easy.

    “Ironically I have a huge fear of small spaces and water,” she said.

    “The sensation of feeling trapped and not being able to breathe will be a huge challenge for me to overcome.”

    Read The Press and Journal

    Photo by roy.luck

  • Australia’s most successful Olympian, Ian Thorpe OAM, has committed to an ongoing role with the AIS that will focus on improving athlete wellbeing nationally.

    The five-time Olympic gold medallist is the first member of the AIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Advisory Committee, which will also include industry experts in areas such as mental health. Thorpe will also speak at the inaugural AIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Summit – Beyond The Podium – to be held in Canberra on June 5-6.

    The AIS has expanded its commitment to issues such as mental health in sport by establishing the Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement division, which will be officially launched at the two day Summit. It will bring together practitioners and athletes from various sports across the country to develop a national action plan for athlete wellbeing.

    Thorpe will attend the Summit’s opening morning and provide an ongoing athlete voice on the AIS advisory committee, using his sporting experiences to help mentor future athletes.

    “I’m incredibly passionate about this issue and really looking forward to playing a significant role with the AIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement division,” Thorpe said. “It’s really important to have the voices of athletes in this process and the benefit of sharing wisdom to emerging champions can’t be underestimated. There were times during my career that I couldn’t quite find the right person to talk to and this is a great step in the right direction.

    “This is about tapping into the knowledge of athletes and sharing what we know as high performers to help this generation and the generations that follow.”

    AIS Deputy Director, Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement, Matti Clements said: “We’re delighted to work closely with Ian to develop strategies in this crucial area. Ian’s record as an athlete speaks for itself, plus his intelligence, commitment to the cause and ability to communicate his own challenges mean he’s a perfect person to champion athlete wellness.”

    The AIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement strategy will focus on five pillars: mental health; athlete conduct and professionalism; career and education; personal development and; community engagement.

    The Summit will be attended by high performance athletes including Olympic gold medallist and Australian Sports Commission Deputy Chair, Alisa Camplin-Warner, along with Mark Knowles (Hockey), Kim Brennan (Rowing), Daniela Di Toro (Paralympic sport) and more.

    Read ausport.gov.au and Herald Sun