Start small
The Renaissance Swimmer project aims to help you develop your skills and knowledge across the spectrum of swimming activities. It’s ambitious and wide-ranging. It will transform your swimming and help you live a fitter, healthier and more adventurous life.
But you can’t do everything at once.
Our first step is a simple audit of your current swimming competencies. You’re invited to do a quick self-assessment of your pool and open water skills, and your general swimming knowledge.
Where you go from there is up to you. You could follow the sections in the order presented or choose the ones that interest you most or where your skills are least developed. However, I recommend at least reading the summary of each section before diving into the details.
A core concept is that developing your skills in one area will help you in others. Working on one stroke will make you stronger at the others. Swimming in open water can make you stronger in the pool. Working on sprint speed can make you faster at long distances. I therefore encourage you to explore all parts of this project. Take your time over it. Return to the beginning and start again. Jump to the sections that inspire you. It’s your journey. You get to choose the route.
Attitude over ability
The key attribute you need to tackle the Renaissance Swimmer project is not your swimming skills but your attitude. I hope you want to explore all swimming has to offer. Be curious, willing to experiment and open to learning – both through your own experience and from other people. You will have to be patient, persistent and resilient.
You will need access to swimmable water. Ideally, this will include both a heated pool and a safe outdoor swimming spot. Then you’ll want some kit. A costume and a towel will get you started. Goggles should be next on your list. A swim hat is useful. You will accumulate more kit as you go but don’t feel you have to go out and spend a fortune before starting.
This isn’t a learn-to-swim guide but neither does it assume a high level of swimming ability. Swimming is an accessible activity. You don’t need to be a strong or fast swimmer to enjoy it or access its many benefits. You don’t need to have spent your childhood in a pool to become a Renaissance Swimmer as an adult. If you can swim for 10 minutes or more without feeling tired, this would be a good place to start. If you can do more, that’s great. If you are an accomplished swimmer already, read on to discover how to make even more of what you already do well.
Barriers to swimming
We have to acknowledge that some people face more barriers to swimming than others. I’d love for everyone to have the opportunity to swim and explore swimming’s many benefits and pleasures, but I know that isn’t possible. Physical access to water, especially open water, can be hugely challenging. Some swimmers require single-sex swimming environments. Many people are uncomfortable in swimming costumes or require costumes that provide more coverage than those commonly used. I don’t have solutions to these barriers but I know or have met many swimmers who have pushed back at them and have found ways to swim. Whether your barrier is physical, medical, cultural, religious or financial, there could be a solution. It may not give you access to everything in swimming but it could still be life-changing. It’s worth asking questions and seeking help.
How to make the most of the Renaissance Swimmer project
This Renaissance Swimmer project is designed to be practical. Each section contains a set of challenges for you to tackle. Do these, or be creative and invent your own. Your swimming skills will develop faster when you combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience.
Start by reviewing the 14 swim competence areas for the Renaissance Swimmer project. Give yourself a score for each of the competencies and make a note of the date.
Next, read quickly through the full content to give yourself a good understanding of what being a Renaissance Swimmer will mean to you. For a very quick overview, read the section summaries. It may be better to hold off on the challenges until you’ve read everything once.
Then, come back to Section 2 and review the scores you gave yourself originally. Do any of these need to be amended now you know more?
Finally, decide how you will work through the project. You can tackle each section in turn, or go straight to the one that excites you most. As you read through again, start tackling the challenges.
Some challenges may take several months or more to complete. Don’t stop reading. Start another chapter and develop those skills in parallel. Periodically, return to Section 2 to review and track your progress.
I hope you find something in every chapter that interests and excites you. You may find some challenges unpalatable or impossible on first reading, and some you will have no interest in doing. That’s fine. Do what inspires you. But stay open-minded about the things that don’t. For example, I was sceptical about cold water swimming for years. When I finally embraced it, I learned a lot and it helped me become a stronger open water swimmer. But for that to happen, I needed to be in the right frame of mind and be ready for the lessons.
Becoming a Renaissance Swimmer is a bit like getting fit. There is no endpoint to getting fit. You can’t put your feet up and announce you’ve made it. You have to keep working on it, refining what you do, adapting to injuries or how your body changes with ageing. Likewise with swimming. There is always something to work on, new places to swim or new adventures to explore. You become a Renaissance Swimmer by embracing a curious, open-minded, perpetually learning approach to everything swimming has to offer, not by checking off all the challenges in this book.
What if I can’t swim?
If it’s a long time since you’ve swum or you’ve lost the confidence that you can swim or have never learned, don’t be put off. You don’t need a high level of swimming competence to benefit from swimming – but you do need to know how to stay safe.
The best way to learn is either adult learn-to-swim classes or one-to-one tuition. Ask at local pools if they provide this.
Swimming is difficult to learn on your own but if you can’t get lessons and you have the support of someone you trust to keep you safe, you could try some basics.
Start by practising floating on your back (while staying well within your depth). If you fill your lungs with air and relax you should be able to lie on your back. Keep your head in the water so only your face is above the surface. If necessary, lightly flutter your legs to keep them from sinking. Scull gently with your hands to move yourself forward.
Once you’ve mastered floating on your back, try it face down – still in water where you can easily reach the bottom. Most people float, especially if they fill their lungs with air. Don’t try to swim. Just lie face down in the water and try pushing down your chest. You’ll find it will bob up again. This is a good exercise to do if you can already swim too. When you run out of air, stand up or roll onto your back. Get comfortable with floating and become secure in the knowledge that you can float before trying to swim. It will make swimming easier.
Once you’ve had a few lessons and can keep yourself safe in the water, please come back to the Renaissance Swimmer project.