Swimmer's Daily

  • I like that description: After about six hours I am usually deep inside my own head. My body takes over and my mind drifts off somewhere…a moving meditation. At night I will try and narrow my attention to a single light or glow stick on the boat or kayak. I close my eyes periodically to ‘watch’ the whole thing from above. The ‘zone’ takes some time to get into, and it doesn’t last for the whole swim. I’ve never experienced anything like it during any land-based activity.” Via TakePart.com.

    Here is the quoted Dave Barra reflecting on his recent 120 mile “8 Bridges Swim” down the Hudson River.

  • The nonprofit Dade City’s Wild Things sanctuary in Pasco County is hoping that cat lovers will pay $200 a pop for the chance to take a dip with a tiger cub. Just don’t be around when momma comes home! Via Tampa Bay Online.

    Here’s another video from Tampa Bay Online …

  • Commenters here on buzzfeed.com say that this is perfectly normal procedure in Florida, but it still looks like they are overloading the filtration system.

  • Ehh, this video is at the very limit of what will pass as material for this site, but unfortunately you don’t get much more swimming relevant than a ‘shower world record’. Now standing at 152 persons, beating the old record of mere 145 persons from 2009, which apparently took a good deal of squeezing. Did I mention that their secret weapon was a lot of bikini-clad ladies ? See The World Records Academy.

    Oh God no, there is ‘behind the scenes’ shots too. Well at least it proves that they were serious about it. “It is not a ‘thinking’ record, it is a ‘doing’ record” :-S

  • This video shows a boxing match that allegedly took place in 1939 at Wembley Empire Pool in London. Unbelievable! Doobybrain via Neatorama.

  • Ronan Keating closeupIrish Boyzone pop star Ronan Keating took to the sea off the east coast of Britain today in preparation of the 10-member charity swim from Ireland to Wales next month, but then revealed on Twitter that he is facing “disaster” after pulling a muscle in his leg. Now, this is the moment when his coach should step in and point out how distance swimming is mostly armstroke, look him straight into the eyes and ask if he is planning to kick his way to Wales (!). Follow him and Branson and the rest on the-swim.co.uk, and help them raise £1.000.000 to beat cancer. Via contactmusic.com.

    Disaster just been in North Sea training for @JoinTheSwim and feels like I have strained a hamstring Ouch!!!less than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet ReplyRonan Keating
    ronanofficial

  • While visiting the oceanarium Nordsømuseet in Hirtshals today, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark took time off to don a dive suit and feed the fishes, being the experienced ‘frømand‘ (Danish Navy Seal) that he is. Biggest attractions there are three sunfishes, whereof the biggest called Anton is well above 100 kg in weight. The sunfishes feared him (the prince). Via jp.dk.

    Tasmanian-born Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark of course got a kiss through the window while he was in the tank, because that is what real princes do :-)

  • Caitlin Morris from Stourport, England started learning to swim when she was 9 months old – 6 months before she could walk. Now she manages 9 meters in 47 seconds using a doggy-paddle style stroke, an ability that her instructor at Baba Seahorse rates as that of a 4-year-old. Here below she swims alongside big brother Callum. Read Express & Star.

  • Lisa Stephens writes very touching here on The Swim Brief about how outdoor swimming in the summer transforms her autistic daughter from being reclusive to ‘blossoming into a butterfly’. Someone knowing agrees immediately in the comments, as does this video from a story earlier this year. “There’s magic in the water.”

    During the summer, in the sunshine, in the reflection of a clear blue pool, Kate comes alive. She lives at the pool, she cannot get enough. It’s incredible to see the transformation. It very much is like a caterpillar emerging from it’s cocoon and blossoming into a butterfly. In the water Kate is much more talkative. She uses more words to form sentences and she describes things in much more detail. She looks right at us and she’s also extremely playful. Instead of keeping to herself she commands our attention; ring around the rosie, jumping into our arms, dunking games and singing songs together….it goes on for hours. She’s connected to us, she’s with us, she is a part of us.