As I was approaching the luminous inflatable sausage that signified the end of the one way swim of Coniston I heard a man say there is no way she has kicked liked that all the way, well Mr doubter yes I had, I had six beat kicked my entire way down all 5.25miles of Lake Coniston. I had survived despite a lack of training; I had survived despite the lack of knowledge. Turning up to find my fellow competitors had energy gels shoved up every wetsuit orifice, how did I miss this in the briefing? I had even survived with a broken finger and gaping wounds on my knuckles and knees from a bike crash the previous weekend. I survived despite terrible sighting, missing buoys then crashing into the next. I even survived the drive home despite not being able to change gear on account of my very sore arms. I exited the lake and thought never again, no way, not ever, yet here I am a few years on, having swam 3 miles in lake Windermere at night, having swum Lake Bala end to end alone and having completed a 10km swim in an old quarry. 

Swimming end to end has an allure, and it has a completeness, it has beauty and challenge. It is cold, dauntingly deep, lonely and exhilarating. The ebb and flow of the stroke is smooth and natural. There is a calmness in a lake, and it is allowing you a water level view which is a rare perspective, it is primal. It feels as if it is for the privileged few who brave the depths. Swimming is good for the soul.

I have ambitions to swim amongst the mountains and fells in the UK and abroad, I am drawn to lakes in the same way others are drawn to the sea. As I swim, I want to glance to the side and see the majestic peaks glide by through misty goggles. I want to earn the right to view the mountains from the glassy lake surface.

Lake Windermere is not the deepest of lakes at a mere 66m or 219ft but it does hold the title of the largest natural lake in England at around 11 miles long, I have camped many times around its shores, dipped in and swum around it’s ribbon shaped edges on beautiful frosty mornings and enjoyed swimming against the rising and falling chop on a windy days. I have cycled around the lake many times, intrigued by it view from different vista and angles and I climbed fells and orientated myself using the glimmering green and blue hues of the surface. On account of its accessibility it is not the wildest of lakes, but it is perhaps the most iconic. There is something that lures me back to lake and often I will stand on the shore and wonder, just wonder when, not if I will set forth and swim end to end. In 2020 I completed The Lap, a 47 miles run over the fells bordering  Lake Windermere. I have cycled the lanes surrounding the lake many times, that I fear leaves only one thing……….