Occasionally in life, we get to see ourselves as others see us.  And sometimes, that reality is a bit like a bucket of cold water being poured over our head.

The fundamental issue is that it is difficult to breathe without a decent technique, but to gain that technique it seems pretty vital that one can breathe.

Whilst a good technique can easily lead to an increase in swimming speed, the reverse is rarely true. It is far more likely that to focus purely on increasing speed, dangerous and damaging habits will result leading to long-term problems.

Olympic medals aren’t won on the days of the competition;  they are won in deserted echoing pools and empty gyms at 6 am on freezing February mornings when most of the world is still in bed. 

When it comes to swimming, despite the kudos, the self-pride and the euphoria of finishing a gruelling event there can be a problem for the longer term;  there is no quicker way to expose the deficiencies in your technique.

For folks who think they can already swim it might be a little sobering to realise they don’t even really understand how to walk.

A swimmers’ stroke cannot be seen in isolation but more as a series of interlinking events, each one affecting the next. 

YouTube is awash with films with titles such as “Five things you’re doing wrong in freestyle” (how do they know?), “A quick fix to aid better breathing in freestyle” and “How to improve your efficiency and swim faster instantly” etc.  But can they deliver on their grand promises?   

After asking a swimmer to perform a drill or a particular task a good coach will ask for feedback. A great coach will ask “And what else?

Pollution of open water in the UK is often the norm rather than the exception.   

I had assumed that the main strokes used today had been around for hundreds of years

No death should be seen as more or less important than any other. Each one represents a human tragedy, a heart-rendering, gut-wrenching loss from which a family can never fully recover. This is not some competition; a morbid and macabre race to the bottom. Nevertheless, official figures do allow us provide some context regarding the relative dangers posed by open-water swimming.

The pressures faced by operators seem to keep mounting and there are few options for a quick fix.

…whilst most of us are warm and cosy in bed youngsters are plunging into chilly waters. All for their dream of a brief moment of glory.

There seem to be an awful lot of folks prepared to step beyond the boundaries of public decency for the sake of a little thrill seeking.

“There is reason to think that swimming works to prevent falls… [by developing]…strong core muscles which are necessary for good balance control”.

If you are swimming on a regular and frequent basis but with poor technique, you will be doing more harm than good