THE FITNESS CHALLENGE IN... ST LUCIA

WHAT? Swimfit with Triscape

WHERE? The Bodyholiday, St Lucia WHY? To return home with a stellar open-water swimming technique (plus, there are coconuts on tap) HOW MUCH? £420 per person per week; triscape.me. Room packages from £2,020; thebodyholiday.com WHO? Francesca Menato, Deputy Digital Editor We’re in for the fresh coconuts, but why schlep to St Lucia for swimming lessons?

The Bodyholiday is an all-inclusive resort in St Lucia designed specifically as a getaway for fit holiday makers. Bootcamps, yoga retreats and gym-heavy spas are common these days, but back in the 80s when this place opened it was one of the first of its kind. Each month, they work around a theme and, during my stay, former Olympians Keri-anne Payne and David Carry were in town to challenge holidaymakers to boost their swimming credentials under the watchful eye of world-class experts. But what if you’re less duck, more cat when it comes to the water? With a genuine hands-on approach, you won’t get coaching like this anywhere else. I’ve been able to train myself to run a marathon and follow online and in-mag workouts to improve my weight-lifting technique, but with swimming, it’s tricky to know where to start if you’re seeking to upgrade your holiday paddle to pro status and maybe train for a triathlon. Having felt like I had hit something of a swimming (read: breathing) wall in the group open-water swims, a one-onone session where my technique, form and breathing were all evaluated and modified provided a real breakthrough and I’ve swum better – and further – ever since. And let’s face it, if you’re going to learn to get over a fear of water anywhere, you might as well make it the Caribbean.