I never used to enjoy getting into a swimming pool, as much as I loved to swim the idea of wearing a swim suit and people seeing me, made me uncomfortable. I struggled with it, until I realised nobody was bothered about me, they were there for themselves too.

Why Swimming?

I adore swimming more than anything. I’ve not come from a swimming back ground but I simply cannot get enough. With such a busy lifestyle, swimming takes me somewhere mentally that other sports just don’t. I literally cannot let my mind take me away on a journey, I’m so focused and absorbed in the swim, it keeps me completely present unlike anything else in my life. For that reason, amongst many others, is why I like to swim.

All shapes and swim sizes

With swimming it can put many off for the fact you need a swimsuit, and for women, because we come in different shapes and sizes it can be a daunting. As I mentioned I struggled also. It was initially hard, until I realised something. My body was amazing for giving me power and strength to push and be able to swim – it helped me escape from Alcatraz so for that reason I’m proud of myself.

How swimming makes me feel

I think over the years I’ve come to accept myself a lot more than I did, so being in the water as a woman gives me freedom and more recently, a confidence I just don’t have anywhere else. Swimming whether it’s training swims or literally floating along, indoors or outdoors, is a place for me. I still catch myself remembering how I couldn’t even do front crawl in 2014, and here I am doing triathlons and epic swims and I’m incredibly proud of myself.

Being a woman in water gives me freedom, like nothing else. What about you? How does swimming make you feel?

*Post in collaboration with Zoggs