Olympic silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne hopes the support she has received in the absence of Team GB funding can propel her to the gold medal at Rio 2016.
Payne, who finished second in the inaugural 10km open water swim at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, lost financial assistance when she decided to take a break from the sport after almost 18 years in active competition.
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Swimming is good for just about everyone. It accommodates all ages, stages, abilities and disabilities.
There’s also evidence it can slow down the aging process.
A long-term study at Indiana University Bloomington’s Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming found that Masters Swimmers (over age 35) who swam roughly 3,200 to 4,500 metres (about 3.2 to 4.8 kilometres) three to five times a week, postponed the aging process. And not just for a few years but for decades, according to traditional age markers like muscle mass blood pressure and lung function.
But you don’t have to be a Masters Swimmer to benefit from swimming. Far from it.
“The health and well-being benefits start with a minimal amount of swimming,†Counsilman Centre Director Joel Stager is quoted as saying in the university’s newsletter. “If you want the fitness effect, you’ll need to look at getting your heart rate up and boosting the intensity.â€
Another study, by Dr. Steven Blair at the University of South Carolina, has shown swimming dramatically reduces the risk of dying. The study spanned 32 years and followed 40,000 men, aged 20 to 90. Those who swam had a 50 per cent lower death rate than runners, walkers and those who didn’t exercise at all.
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Creating a unique and fun introduction to launch newcomers to swimming, USA Swimming has developed SwimJitsu – a new grow-the-sport program that combines swimming, inflatable obstacles and cannonballs.
SwimJitsu is an in-water obstacle course that includes a series of entry-level swimming skills stages and 10 entertaining tasks. Participants become “swimjas†(a combination of swimming and ninja) by using traits such as wisdom, speed and agility.
Watch SwimJitsu in action.
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colorado) has joined as a Grandmaster to invite new swimmers to try SwimJitsu and, ultimately, join a swim team.
“Not every kid is going to get started swimming in the traditional way like I did. What I love about SwimJitsu is that it encourages kids to get in the pool and have fun in the water,†said Franklin. “My coaches have always been creative about making the sport fun and this takes it to a whole new level.â€
“We found a winning formula with SwimJitsu, a mash-up of skill-based competitions such as football’s Punt, Pass and Kick and skiing’s NASTAR mixed with entertaining shows like Wipeout and American Ninja Warrior,” said USA Swimming Marketing Director Jim Fox. “This is a new and compelling way to complement the traditional entry paths into the sport and introduce kids to swimming skills, comparing swim times and achieving goals.”
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Olympians Libby Trickett and Eamon Sullivan had some #SuperSeriousFun in Exmouth not long ago when they went swimming with the whale sharks and manta-rays plus a whole lot of snorkeling as part of the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series.
The victim originally jumped into the water in Honokohau Harbor and speared the fish.
Press release
Virgin Trains has launched an innovative swim cap for bearded men – the Beard Cap – which will be trialled with customers competing at the Great North Swim, Lake Windermere, June 12 – 14, 2015. The unique Lycra prototype extends down to wrap under the chin and packs the beard against the face to decrease drag whilst swimming. It’s reusable, adjustable and perfect for keeping bushy beards under control.
Responding to debates on swimming forums about big beards causing drag, the rail operator and official train partner to the Great North Swim commissioned its own research*. The findings revealed that over one in ten men (12 per cent) connected their beard to slower swim times, and nearly a quarter of men feel their beards hinder their sports performance. This could be because beards are an irritant for some sporting men (11 per cent), a source of discomfort for others (32 per cent) and a distraction for even more (42 per cent).
Virgin Trains expects the caps to be snapped up, as nearly half (46 per cent) of British men surveyed are now shunning the clean shaved look for something more hairy, and 22 per cent are opting for a big or thick beard. This is despite many (58 per cent) becoming annoyed with their furry faces.
However, it’s not all bad news because over a third of women prefer men with beards (37 per cent) with many women aged 25-34 preferring men with a hairy face (55 per cent), even though some men (29 per cent) find their beards get in the way of kissing.
Adrian Varma, Senior Partnerships and Marketing Manager at Virgin Trains, said: “At Virgin Trains we’re passionate about giving our customers the most awesome experience possible, and this extends to their sporting endeavours as they are travelling to the Great North Swim with us. In addition to the 50 per cent discounted tickets to the event for spectators and competitors, we’re delighted to be offering customers this innovative cap to help them do their best.â€
To find out more information and buy discounted tickets to travel to The Great North Swim visit http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/nova/
June 1st – 16th 2015, Iceland hosts the 16th Games of the Small States of Europe, see iceland2015.com and sundsamband.is. All swim sessions will be live streamed here on livestream.com June 2nd – 6th, prelims from 10:00 and finals from 17:30, ReykjavÃk time. See the start lists here.
Image courtesy of Sundsamband Ãslands on Facebook
When long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad turned 60, she was determined to complete her life’s biggest challenge.
“In the context of your phrase, ‘my big break,’ when I turned 60, there was a true, existential anxiety about how much time is left,” Nyad says. “My mom had just died; she was 82. And at age 60, I thought, ‘Uh-uh, I’m not going into that good night. I am going to fire up and live this thing as large as I can live it until I can’t live it that large anymore.’ ”
She decided to attempt a record-breaking swim — from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Fla., over 110 miles away. But these weren’t uncharted waters for her. Nyad had actually tried — and failed — this swim four times before.
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The creature emerged from the murky depths of Florida’s Crystal River just a couple of feet below where I was floating. I froze and felt my eyes widen. I wanted to shout “manatee!†but knew that would scare the animal. And that was the last thing I wanted to do.
Before I even dipped a toe in the water, I had been drilled about the rules of passive observation. “You have to be really quiet,†said Yves Delpech of Sunshine River Tours. And don’t touch the manatees; “let them touch you,†he said. Manatees, it appears, are the introverts of the sea.
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