The answer might surprise you

We live in a world of specialists. As human knowledge advances, staying up to date across multiple domains becomes increasingly difficult. Likewise, in the physical domain. Athletes who win medals in multiple events – such as Michael Phelps or Leon Marchand – are rare. The skills required to be the best take too much time and effort to acquire and extend across multiple disciplines.

Even those swimmers that we think of as all-rounders have limits. Neither Phelps nor Marchand featured in the 50m freestyle or the 10km open water.

Yet in the Renaissance Swimmer project, I’m suggesting you embrace everything swimming offers, from pool racing to marathon swimming with some outdoor winter swimming on the side. How come?

Get all the benefits of swimming

Most of us aren’t striving to be the best in the world. Instead, we might aim to become the best swimmer we can be, given the constraints on our lives and the time and effort we can or want to devote to swimming.

Not only that, but we also get to choose what “best” means for us. If you want an Olympic medal, you have to be the fastest in an Olympic event – a very narrow and specific goal.

Conversely, your definition of success in swimming can be anything you like. If you want to define being moderately competent across a wide range of swimming disciplines as more worthwhile than being exceptional in one, that’s up to you.

One attraction of the all-round swimmer approach is that it helps you access the full range of swimming’s benefits: distance for endurance, sprinting for strength, cold water for mental resilience and so on.

You may also find it’s more fun.

In the end, swimming isn’t just about chasing medals or mastering a single discipline. It’s about movement, challenge, and enjoyment. Embracing the full spectrum of swimming – from icy winter dips to long-distance challenges – offers a deeper, richer experience. The Renaissance Swimmer philosophy isn’t about being the best; it’s about becoming the most complete swimmer you can be, on your terms. So why limit yourself?