It’s been a long held ambition of mine to take a dip in an ice hole in Finland. This February I travelled to Helsinki with this express purpose in mind. Despite being late on in the winter, the sea had not yet frozen and we had to head out of the city centre to find […]
Make Swim22 your New Year’s challenge
If you’ve been inspired by the likes of Sarah Thomas and her incredible Channel swims, then the New Year is the perfect time to set yourself a challenge. While I’d love to be the type of person who dons a thick layer of grease and swims the 22 miles between England and France, my aims […]
Readers’ best swims of 2019
If you thought that swimming was a solitary pastime, then think again. The swimming community is a very positive and supportive place. Whenever I share my swims on social media I get a lovely response and it’s always great to see what everyone else has been up to. Here are the swims we’ve got the […]
Autumn wild swimming in Snowdonia
One of my best adventure pals and I booked a weekend of wild mountain swimming in Snowdonia with Vivienne Rickman back in the spring. Way before lido season even began, we knew we’d need something to look forward to in the autumn, when swimming in nature takes on a different vibe. It’s moodier and definitely […]
Happy Birthday Barefoot Em! 1-year-old today
Today marks the first anniversary of Barefoot-em.com and a lot has changed in just 12 short months. When I look back at all the incredible places I’ve swum and things I’ve seen – a lido wedding, a dip in the Atlantic and photo session in an Edwardian bath house, just to name a few – […]
Swimming in the rain: Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool
It may have been raining in Cheshire on the summer’s day I happened to be in the vicinity of Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool, but nothing was going to dampen my enthusiasm for a dip in this historic spot. This was only further fueled by the passion that was exhibited by the manager as he showed […]
