Swimming

IRVINE, California, May 25. THE Speedo Grand Challenge continued to produce some scintillating swims in Irvine as Vlad Morozov and Maya Dirado both had some special outings this evening. After jus...

Her mind is set. Her mindset is geared towards long, arduous swims across countries. Chloë McCardel twice prepared herself to swim a triple crossing of the English Channel. Although she swam blazing fast on the first two legs, she never quite made the complete three-way crossing. But that preparation is optimal for her Straits of Florida swim to be attempted between June 10th and 20th. It is a window of opportunity, a window where numerous variables must be factored in before the final GO is given. Watch Chloë McCardel's site between June 10th and 20th to follow her in near real-time via her SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger that will be positioned on her escort boat. Copyright © 2013 by Open Water SwimmingFrom Open Water Source's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Tom P?chalski, BCT head Coach and manager, and Andrzej Skorykow, head coach of the Warsaw Masters Team in Poland, conduct POW (Pool Open Water) sessions and seminars in Warsaw, Poland. Skorykow, a former member of the Polish national water polo team, has rough water experience that comes in handy to help instruct and assure newcomers to the sport. For those who get nervous in situations where there is deep ocean water or crowded conditions around a turn buoy, Skoryhow is an outstanding teacher. "During the sessions, Skorykow jumps in to the pool to show all the different moves around the turn buoys using high elbows, and doing shallow water starts as well as demonstrating sighting and navigation techniques," explains Roman Karbownik. "The video shows the POW session in Warsaw at the Inflancka swimming pool conducted by Andrzej." What we like about the POW sessions conducted by P?chalski and Skorykow is the following: 1. They conduct the instruction in a shallow (and therefore turbulent) pool. A shallow, narrow pool that generates waves not only allows a rough water simulation in a pool, but it also enable swimmers and triathletes to practice dolphining. 2. The coaches use a 180º buoy turn which is often the most difficult type of turn in open water swimming because a swimmer or triathlete must completely change directions and occasionally feet, knees, and elbows are thrown by other swimmers so the athletes must learn to protect themselves. 3. The swimmers practice together like in a real open water swimming competition so they can better replicate the real-world environment and conditions that they will face on race day. Copyright © 2013 by Open Water SwimmingFrom Open Water Source's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Lane 1 - The Tampa Tribune posts "I Made It!: ‘You will need all the tools in your arsenal to beat cancer’.  GOAL: Raise awareness for prevention and screenings to help in the fight against cancer.  WHY I DID IT: I have been swimming since I was 12 years old and competitively swimming nationally and internationally for 75 years. As an avid competitive swimmer and founder and coach of the St. Petersburg-based U.S. Masters Swimming team, the Florida Mavericks, cancer was the furthest thing from my mind." Lane 2 - Army posts "Swimmer Interview: Warrior Games Sgt Krisell Creager-Lumpkins." Lane 3 - ESPN posts "Mag Minute: Ryan Lochte, Olympic swimmer.  Former Florida Gator Ryan Lochte has won 11 Olympic medals (five gold) and sits behind only Michael Phelps with his seven individual medals in men's swimming. He is the world-record holder in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter individual medley events. Since becoming omnipresent in pop culture following the London Games, the 28-year-old has appeared on "30 Rock," expressed interest in "Dancing with the Stars" and become the star of the E! show "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" which debuted in April. He also plans to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio Di Janeiro." Lane 4 - Adelaide Now posts "Sports stars getting caught in the Twitter trap.  IT'S costing Olympic gold medals, reputations, prestige and money but elite athletes cannot shake the allure of social media habits. Olympic gold medallist Rice was forced to deliver a teary media apology, lost sponsor Jaguar and took a hit to her brand after an uncharacteristic gay slur tweet directly after Australia humbled South Africa in a rugby clash in 2010.  Australia's 100m backstroke favourite Emily Seebohm, 20, unwittingly prioritised a late-night twitter and facebook session over a gold medal shot of a lifetime. In the aftermath of a sub-par final swim that still clinched silver, Seebohm conceded a marathon social media session had drained her on race day." Lane 5 - Discovery posts "Top 10 Beaches of 2013.  Every year Professor Stephen P. Leatherman of Florida International University ranks America's 10 best beaches based on a list of 50 criteria. This year's top pick? Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y., gets the nod. Three of the best, according to the good doctor, are in Hawaii. And the rest are on the East Coast." Lane 6 - The Prince George Citizen posts "Olympian to coach camp.  For Canadian Olympian and world silver medalist Gary Reed, it's important to show young athletes that it doesn't take superpowers to find success at the Olympics or world championship.  "They want to know what it feels like to run in the Olympic Games," said Reed. "I think a lot of the times it helps when they understand that I'm just a human being - I'm just like them. I was just a young athlete like they were, struggling, training hard and trying to come up through the ranks." Lane 7 - NBC 41 posts "Signs of a swimmer in trouble.  With summer almost here and children out of school, the pools and lakes will likely get crowded. But while the water can be a fun place for kids, it can also be dangerous." Lane 8 - NY Times posts "Chlorine, Swimming Pool Helper, Has a Checkered Past.  With the unofficial start of summer on Monday, many people will get up close and personal with the element that carries 17 protons. I speak, of course, of chlorine."

> Every year there are close calls, emergencies, contingencies, accidents, heart-stopping escapes, near misses, unintended consequences, and deaths that occur in the open water community. These are illustrative opportunities for the open water swimming community to learn about and try to prevent at their own level and locale. Roger Finch tells of a scary happening that occurred to him. He was doing some cold-water training in Port Elizabeth for his Catalina Channel crossing together with his kayaker Ian. Ian had helped him on the annual Nelson Mandela Bell Buoy Challenge. Finch had planned to do a training swim from Hobie Beach to the Bell Buoy, a large buoy anchored at Roman reef over 4 km out to warn ships. Finch recalls, "The ocean was picture perfect that day. The water was a nice 16°C, deep blue in colour with the sun shinning. I felt great on the swim out." But soon conditions would change. And change for the worse. The swell and waves picked up and pushed Finch in the opposite direction from shore. Instead, he flew out to Bell Buoy within 56 minutes. "[At the buoy], I asked Ian if he would take a few photos. But with the ocean being so rough, he needed everything he had just to stay upright in the kayak. You are going to have to work hard to get back, I laughed and [welcomed] the good training." That good cheer and positive mindset among the elements was short-lived given Finch's long push back against the massive outgoing swells. "As we left Bell Buoy, I saw Ian paddling to the left of me. After 10 minutes, he wasn't there anymore. I stopped and started looking for him, but I couldn't see him anywhere...but nothing. I looked everywhere. All I saw were big swells and ocean. I was very aware that I was being blown back out to sea so decided to get swimming and maybe he would find me." The initial sense of beauty during a picture-perfect training swim quickly evaporated. The vacuum was immediately filled with a profound feeling of loneliness and deep-seated fear. "I looked around in amazement that we could not see each other. I could see enough to know that shouting was not an option. It was very scary to see nothing but ocean and no where was Ian." Similar to other swimmers in this situation, Finch had very troubled thoughts about his kayaker Ian all the way back while at the same time swimming, literally, for his life. "15 minutes later, I stopped again to look for Ian. Still nothing but ocean. I started to feel very lonely and nervous. Ian is a very experienced paddler so [I figured that] something has happened out here to him. I started to look into the depths and wondered what was around me. I thought that a Great White Shark might have taken him. This is not a nice thought when I was 3 km out to sea - by myself - and lost." But Finch was constantly thinking of his friend. "My car keys and everything are locked in his boot, so when I do get in I can't phone the National sea rescue." Yet self-preservation started to become his top priority. "I was being taken back out to sea by the swells and was a very worried swimmer. I heard a loud drone underwater; it was a Chinese fishing trawler heading straight for me. But it had seen me over 3 km out sea on my own and assumed that I had been blown out to sea from the beach. The trawler stopped next to me. But I couldn't understand what they were shouting. I shouted back, 'Have you seen a kayaker out here?'" But communications were too difficult and there was no mutual understanding. The trawler then they threw a rope ladder down so that Finch could climb on board. Finch was battling with his better judgment and convinced himself to stay in the water and continue his training for his Catalina swim. "I was close(r) to the finish, so I turned and started swimming in the direction of Hobie Beach. [Soon] the trawler left me." Alone again. This time, it was a definitive, deliberate decision by Finch to battle the ele

KANAGAWA, Japan, May 25. THE Japan Open continued to produce some outstanding efforts this weekend as some of Japan's best swimmers put on a show this evening. In what is quickly becoming the heav...

The Virginia Open Water Series is a new 3-race, 3-month series held in Virginia that includes the Jack King 1-mile Ocean Swim in Virginia Beach on June 23rd, the Chris Greene Lake 1 or 2-Mile Cable Swims in Charlottesville on July 13th, and the Lake Moomaw 1-Mile Swim north of Covington on August 3rd. The Jack King 1-mile Ocean Swim kicks the series off in Virginia Beach with a salt-water competition held under the long-time direction of Ray McDaniels. Then the series heads to the fresh water. The Chris Greene Lake Cable Swim, directed by Dave Holland, continues the momentum where masters swimmers of all backgrounds and corners of the globe have been flocking to compete in the 1- and 2-mile races since 1977. Beginning in 1980, Chris Greene Lake has also been a frequent site for U.S. Masters Swimming National Open Water Swimming Championships. The Lake Moomaw Swim culminates the series with a 1-mile open water swim in Lake Moomaw that is run by Sandra Denius Wright and Dave Holland. Photo shows race direct Dave Holland with 91-year-old Dick Selden who competes at the annual Chris Greene Lake Swim. Copyright © 2013 by Open Water SwimmingFrom Open Water Source's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Lake Moomaw is live thanks to Sandra Denius Wright, the Tourism Special Projects Coordinator of Alleghany Highlands, Virginia. She had a dream about open water swimming that is heartwarming and a long time coming. Her dream began in her childhood. Denius grew up in the Alleghany Highlands in Virginia known for its breathtaking mountain scenery and charming towns. "Most swimming [when I was a child] was done in the open water so open water swimming always made sense to me. I was always comfortable in lakes and rivers even though I was on more than one occasion chased by a swimming snake and had my toes nibbled on by fish in the lake. Marine life never stunted her love for the water. "My dad, an avid swimmer, encouraged me and my siblings to swim. We always thought it was fun to see how many we could do. When we were in the lake, it was a challenge to see if we could swim from A to B. Sometimes my dad would let me jump out of the boat pretty far out in the lake and swim to shore." However much Denius swam in her childhood, she had never heard about open water swimming until she moved to college at Virginia Commonwealth University. "I was pretty naïve about a lot of things. While life guarding at the YMCA, I was fascinated and inspired by Missie Hersey who used to swim nonstop during my entire shift as she trained for the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. I thought she was amazing. Missie, along with John Ferrell, encouraged me to train for and enter my first swim, the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim in 1993. I enjoyed it so much that I finished the 7.5-mile Potomac River Swim in 1994. In 1995 I was the first woman at the Death Valley 5K at Clemson, South Carolina. I wouldn’t have done any of the swims if it were not for John who always made things fun with his great enthusiasm and good spirit." But Virginia Commonwealth University disbanded its swim team just before Denius arrived on campus so she ended up swimming by herself with an occasional masters swim team workout. "I made a few great friends at college, but spent a lot of time swimming, running and biking by myself." Her training gave her a lot of time to think and explore. And when she first saw Lake Moomaw, her dream came to her. "Lake Moomaw is one of the most beautiful lakes you will ever see. I’ve always enjoyed swimming there so after I became aware that there were people who swam these types of races I thought it would be a perfect venue. In 1997 I wrote a letter - which I still have - proposing a 1- and 3-mile swim at Lake Moomaw. I never got a response. I felt like no one understood my passion for swimming. So I just moved on to other things keeping a file with my ideas for the Lake Moomaw race." She never gave up on her dream. "I thought I could revisit the idea of the Lake Moomaw at some point [in my life]. I have moved numerous times and would get rid of things with each move, but I could never bear to throw out the file with my proposal and ideas for the Lake Moomaw swim. I kept hoping someday..." But her dreams remain quiet until a career opportunity led to her passion pouring out in a job interview. "I didn't tell anyone of this dream until until recently when I told a room full of people during an interview for the position of Blueway Special Projects Coordinator, Alleghany Highlands." The interviewers posed a question about how best to develop and promote the lakes, rivers and streams of the area and how to work in tandem with other tourism-related projects. "I talked about my ideas for various outdoor events. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to convince people that an open water swim event at Lake Moomaw is a terrific idea...I got the job." Denius is enjoying a lot of momentum in the area with plenty of support from her friends and neighbors. It is truly a dream come true. "I feel so excited and happy. Five years ago, I moved back to the area with my three children, who also love to swim. There are a

Phil White and Beth Barnes are revving up for the inaugural World 10-Mile Championships in Vermont. “Our mighty fleet of volunteer patrol boats have all re-enlisted for another adventure,” explains White. “We have now matched swimmers with volunteer yackers with Prouty Beach’s Swimmer and Yacker Tent City is nearing capacity.” The deadline to enter the WOWSA World 10-Mile Championships is June 1st. “The logistics of putting on a swim of this magnitude are daunting,” said White who has always welcomed the opportunity to be creative and serve his community. “We devote the time from June 1st to July 6th to running the very best, the very safest, and the most joyous swim we can. We are still looking for a few more volunteer yackers. Don't miss your ticket to Mighty Memphremagog.” The WOWSA World 10-Mile Championships have an additional goal other than to provide a world-class open water swimming event. “This year, IROC, our wonderful, community recreational center, with its Healthy Changes Initiative for people with chronic conditions went through foreclosure. The IROC is locked up and dark. But a serious effort is underway to buy it back. The growing success of the summer games has been and remains one of the keys to sustainability if the facility is re-purchased and run as a rec center. We are committed to showing potential investors that we can continue to help support operations of our rec center in the future -- if we can buy it back from the bank.” The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont is the most beautiful area of Vermont, but it is also plagued by high levels of unemployment, poverty, obesity, diabetes, smoking, and heart disease. “Our rec center had some great programs that addressed these issues,” continues White, the co-founder of NEKOWSA (Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association). “A vibrant summer series of running, biking, swimming, and kayaking can support some great causes in this area. Your support can demonstrate to prospective buyers that a rec center is financially viable and sustainable. We have some great high pledge prizes: a Cobra kayak, an Alcatraz swim entry, and a free slot in Ned Denison's Cork Distance Week.” The home-grown, grassroots aquatic initiative has grown from a concept to one day of open water swimming to 11 days of activities, including the inaugural WOWSA World 10-Mile Championships. “It is our honor to open our lakes to a great group of swimmers.” Photo of Lake Memphremagog by Dr. Jim Miller. Copyright © 2013 by Open Water SwimmingFrom Open Water Source's Daily News of Open Water Swimming

"It’s tough." ”Give it your all." "You can push it on this set." When Coach Abe Rogers of the Cambridge Masters Swim Club gives instruction on a set, people listen. They know Rogers has always pushed himself and he expects just as much from himself as he does from the people he coaches in Boston. Rogers was a college swimmer and pro triathlete who ultimately competed in the 2000 USA Olympic Trials. Later, he began coaching masters swimmers and triathletes, but he also recently spent three and a half years with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division where he was deployed twice to Afghanistan. The harsh climate and challenging conditions only seemed to increase his passion for coaching swimmers and triathletes. Now back home in Boston, the hard-working Rogers is clearly enjoying himself spending innumerable hours on the pool deck teaching, coaching, and pushing a steadily growing number of triathletes, fitness swimmer, and masters swimmers with an understated, but forceful and disciplined style. Besides the time he spends on pool decks and outside helping triathletes manage their open water swimming legs, Rogers' reach also goes much further. He also produces Swim Workouts To Go, a mobile phone app, created together with Harvard University swimming coach Stephanie Morawski. The Swim Workouts To Go app is designed for the athlete who is looking to stay in shape while on the road or lacking access to structured coached workouts. Swim Workouts To Go also links to the United States Masters Swimming's database to provide a means to research what pools are available in specific areas. The app posts new workouts to its site daily with a combination of both freestyle and stroke sets. Depending on the swimmer's ability, the workouts should take between 75-90 minutes. Most workouts average 4000-5000 yards. For more information on the growing Cambridge Masters Swim Club, visit here. Or simply follow via your iPhone with Rogers' Swim Workouts To Go here. Copyright © 2013 by Open Water SwimmingFrom Open Water Source's Daily News of Open Water Swimming