Episode #5 - Why We Swim Where We Swim

Here's What you Missed !

If you weren’t able to join us live for Episode 5 of the After Swim Show, here is a quick recap of what we covered this week.

This episode was all about the places that draw swimmers into the water. From global swim news to reflections on some incredible swim locations around the world, we explored why certain swims stay with us long after we leave the water.

🌊 This Week In the Water

We started with a round up of some great stories from the global open water community.

Highlights included:

• The conclusion of the Winter Swimming World Championships in Oulu, Finland
• Yolanda Carson successfully completing the False Bay crossing in South Africa
• Discussion around the "NEWS" swim concept involving four major swims:
Only one person has completed all four so far.
• The 30th anniversary of the Coogee Jetty to Jetty swim in Western Australia
• Jay shares reflections from racing at Coogee this year
• An update on Jono Ridler reaching an incredible milestone of 1,000km in his endurance swimming journey.
• A reflection on the anniversary of the Epic Swim Maui reconnaissance trip and the early exploration that helped shape that project.

🏊 in The Main Set: Beautiful Swim Locations

This week’s main topic focused on some of the most memorable swim locations we have experienced and what makes certain places so special for open water swimmers.

We talked about:

• Maui, Hawaii and the incredible water clarity, dramatic landscapes and the strong swimming culture around Hawaii
• Kununurra and Lake Argyle in Western Australia, including the wild beauty of the Ord River
• What true wild swimming can look like in remote locations where nature dictates what is possible.
• Montenegro, along the Adriatic coastline.

Some swims stand out because of the challenge. Others stand out because of the location itself.
The most memorable swims usually combine both

💙 Weekley Wisdom: How to Choose Your Next Swim

With so many amazing swims around the world, we talked about how swimmers can decide which challenges are worth pursuing.

One approach we shared was a simple decision framework that looks at four areas:

• Personal aspirations. Does the swim genuinely excite you or align with something meaningful to you?
• Career aspirations. Does the swim help move you forward professionally as an athlete, coach or storyteller?
• Altruistic goals. Does it support a cause or message you care about?
• Opportunistic factors. Are you already travelling somewhere or connected to the location?

Time and resources are limited, so choosing the right swim often comes down to finding the challenge or destination that matters most to you.

Live Q&A with Andy & Jay

One of the questions from the live audience asked about our thoughts on the Enhanced Games.

This led to a discussion around the values of sport, the pressures around performance, and the message these kinds of competitions may send to younger athletes.

It was a thoughtful conversation about what we believe sport should represent.

Words of the Week

"A man cannot step into the same river twice, because it is not the same river, and he is not the same man." - Heraclitus

Water is always moving. And so are we.
Every swim changes us in some way.

If you missed it live, the full replay is now available;

Click here

Thank you to everyone who joined us live and contributed to the discussion.