Sisters of swim: The Cold Is My Teacher

Sisters of Swim 

There’s a group of women who meet at 6am to swim in a lake. They swim all year round in all weathers. They break through the ice with an axe in winter. They take long swims when the sun is already hot but the water still cool. They support each other like a team, bonded through sisterhood. Through the triumphs and losses, all the adventures and everyday everyday events of life. 

We speak to Mel, Sara, Laura, Lisa, Caroline and Nic about the group, how it started, why they love it, and what makes them get out of bed at 5:30am when the rain is hammering down on the window and it’s pitch black outside. 

Wakey wakey!

The alarm goes off. You can’t believe it’s that time already, Didn’t you only climb into bed 20minutes ago? A WhatsApp from Mel “Shiver Up?”…a string of “Up!” replies have already flowed in. Here we go. You roll out of bed.  No shower. No make up. No ego. No pretending. No show. Just you. The bag is already packed. Full of good intentions from the night before. Your swim shoes. Towel robe. Changing mat. You creep down to the kitchen. Shut the door softly so you don’t wake the kids with the sound of the boiling kettle. Is it really that loud during the day? Tea made, ready for the almost sacred post-swim ritual by the water. Shoes on. Key in the door and you’re off. You pound down the road. Nervous about the cold. Excited because you know no matter what, you’ll do it because your girls will be with you. 

A smile greets you at the gates and the chat begins. Just a few minutes before you’re at the lake. Who’s already there? Who had a rough night with the kids and has already messaged to say they couldn’t make it? It’s ok. We all understand. We’re sisters. And there will always be next time. Thank goodness.

We strip off. Catching up on what’s happened since we last saw each other as we shed our running gear. Swimming costume already on underneath in mum-honed efficiency. Time only gets more precious as we age.

“Ready ladies?”

We walk together into the water. It’s cold. Very cold. But we don’t scream or flap. We’ve all been here before. We understand the feeling and we know that only good that comes from embracing the challenge. Instead, we talk. About everything. The big events. The sh*t. The amazing and the mundane. Conversation is as free and fluid as the water.  Zero judgement. Holding space for all problems and feelings of all shapes and sizes. There is no front or mask required here. No one to avoid or impress at the school gates. No smile painted on for work colleagues. No one expects anything but what you have that day. But the strange thing is, these women, without fail, draw out your best. If you arrive feeling like you have nothing to give, you will leave with your cup filled. We’ve found our tribe. 

Drawn to water

There’s something about women and water. Maybe something primal. In our first home, we swim in the womb. We create life and even give birth in water. Maybe we descended from mermaids, who knows? But the water has drawn this group of ladies together. We all needed something. Something just for us. Like a beautiful secret that bonds us. 

Going back to move forward

There are so many lost opportunities for women to be together these days. We don’t live in tight knit communities. We don’t leave the doors unlocked so we could wander in and out of each others homes, chatting and checking in, helping out whenever our neighbours needed it and keeping any eye out. The age old saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ is obsolete. Our lives have changed but our needs haven’t. The lake is our community, compressed into the wee small hours of the morning. We see each other more than some of our families or best friends and ‘little and often’ is how we build the strong bridges of sisterhood. 

Time for tea

Our souls have been washed as we climb out of the water, reborn for a new day. Straps twang as we wrestle out of our wet things. Flasks emerge from rucksacks, and spare cups are offered to try a new brew, or for those who just ran out of time. The air fills with cinnamon. Orange flower. Ginger. Liquorice. Vanilla. A rainbow of flavours, often infused with honey, always shared. You could say tea is a big thing in this group. We warm our hands and we connect in our little bubble by the water. Hugs are given and plans are made for next time. We gather our things to part ways knowing what ever happens that day, this morning we swam in the lake, we smiled and drank tea by the water with our sisters. A beautiful memory to hold on to, and keeps us afloat.  

The benefits of cold water swimming

The community created by swimming together is undeniable. Some people think you’re bonkers, but they’re the ones that will never discover the joy it brings. And that’s their choice. This is ours. We feel amazing after a swim. The fizzing energy in your body. The calm mind that feels ready for anything. Taking on any challenge with the knowledge that you’ve already accomplished something big that day, and so anything else seems easier than before. Take a look at the scientific benefits for a deeper dive into what’s going on in your body.  

How do I start cold water swimming?

You’ll never know until you try it, so what are you waiting for? There are hundreds of groups across the world waiting to welcome you to their community. Here are a few sources to look through and find your nearest group. It will be one of the best things you will ever do for your physical and mental health. And what could be more important than that?

The Outdoor Swimming Society

The Bluetits Chill Swimmers