This year, we're taking the ‘Every Body Swim' campaign to the Arla Great North Swim - showcasing that swimming is for everyone and that all swimmers should be celebrated.
Everyone is welcome at the Arla Great North Swim, and we want as many people to experience the freedom and sense of belonging that comes from open and cold water swimming. So, no matter your age, sex, ethnicity, swimming experience, mental or physical ability - you can feel inspired to improve and enhance your health.
Rhianon Gale, 44, is originally from London and now lives on the Fylde coast in Lancashire. She took up swimming a year ago to help with the trauma and grief following the deaths of her parents and brother, as well as a number of health conditions (hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, PTSD and other related conditions). This is the first year she has taken part in the Great North Swim and she'll be taking part in the 850 metre event.
What do you like about open water swimming?
I'd always loved swimming as a child, but I stopped as I got older. I started again a year ago when I was referred onto a swimming course by my GP through social prescribing. After that, I was completely obsessed - I've swam every other day for the last year or so! I've really got the bug and I absolutely love it - it's been life changing. I love the joy it brings, the peace and the pain relief I get from it.
Also, the community is wonderful. Having recently moved to an area where I know no one, it's been easy to meet people and start to make friends through meeting up with other outdoor swimmers.
How does open water swimming make you feel?
Refreshed!
My body feels good in water; it's a completely different experience to how it feels on land. My pain is reduced, my body feels supported, I feel more connected to myself. When I swim, my mind can only focus on what's around me and what I'm doing - nothing else. I'm forced into being mindful.
Plus, the smells and sights of nature are relaxing and joyful - you can feel like you're on a little adventure every time you try a new swim spot, or even going to the same place in different seasons and weathers. I love swimming in the rain - the colder the water, the better. There's nothing else like it. I can't stop smiling when I'm in the water.
What does your training involve?
I swim outside as much as I can. I've never really liked swimming pools but I started going once a week to do a bit of training on my technique and fitness for the Great North Swim. I also have a bath in the garden for the days I'm physically unable to go swimming.
How has swimming inspired you or improved your daily life?
Swimming has changed my life. I live with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, meaning my joints dislocate and move around a lot. On land, I'm constantly in pain and I struggle with everything - I have a lot of pain and fatigue. But when I'm in the water, I feel OK - my body's supported, and the cold water helps with inflammation.
It's also really helped with my mental health. I was diagnosed with PTSD following a very traumatic death in my family, but swimming frees my mind from the flashbacks. In the water, you're forced to really connect with your body and it shuts off all of the other stuff that's going on in your head. It's very freeing.
In short, it helps me manage my pain and I feel like I belong - like I'm part of a community. I've got something I can do when I don't know what to do. My motto is ‘you can never have a bad swim' because it's true!
The Arla Great North Swim will be back on 7-9 June 2024.
Choose from six different open water swimming distances to suit all ages, abilities, and level of experience. Whether you're looking to get fit, improve your time, soak up some nature or raise money for charity, you‘ll be part of an amazing collective experience - guaranteed. Dive into nature and join us at the UK's biggest open water swimming event.
So, what do you say - see you on the shore? Find out more about the swim here.