HIT THE OPEN WATER

Research has shown that the swimming leg of a triathlon is one of the biggest fears that beginners have when getting into the sport. But we also know that open-water swimming has enjoyed a huge growth in popularity during the pandemic. The result is that more people than ever have wetsuits and are willing to jump into the cold stuff. Speaking of which, British Triathlon has recently launched a new initiative called ‘Beyond Swim’, which is all about ensuring there are safe open-water swimming venues across the country for people to experience the brilliant pastime of swimming outdoors. Discover more and find a venue near you at the website beyondswim.org. Once you’re comfortable swimming in open water, you may want to consider entering a race. There are a number of open-water swimming events of varying lengths around the UK, giving you the chance to build your confidence and become familiar with swimming in crowds. And then, who knows? Maybe a triathlon is calling your name… Perfect for: Anyone that loves swimming or has been swept along in the wild swimming craze of the last 18 months. Find out more: Discover more and find an open-water swimming venue near you at beyondswim.org.

Triathlon coach and Storm the Castle race organiser Dermott Hayes says: “Because the majority of

triathletes are just your average Joe, people will come along to swim sessions like ours with no intention of doing a triathlon at all. But then they get chatting to people who’ve done it and it seems a bit more achievable. They’re standing there talking to someone that doesn’t look like Alistair Brownlee thinking, ‘If they can do it, then I probably can, too’.”