Regular open water swimmer Deborah Herridge has shared with us what it is about the sea that makes her #SwimHappy...

So many things! Where shall I start...my #SwimHappy place usually involves water, preferably salty, throw in some challenging waves (although mill pond seas are always inspiring places to swim in too), golden glitter paths to swim through from the sunshine lighting up the sea, and some great swim buddies to share the wonderful experience with.

Deborah during her training swim in the Solent.

I feel happy when swimming in the Solent with my local pals from The Shack Sharks, as well as near Bournemouth with the Durley Sea Swims group, where channel swimmers, and aspiring channel swimmers like me, train in all weathers, rain or shine. I also swim happy alone, when I’m powering through speed sets in the pool to help keep up my pace over long distance swims. Swimming alone is my form of meditation giving me the chance to think about all sorts, life, experiences, sing songs, concentrate on my technique and stroke, or think of nothing at all and simply swim. To me swimming is a true form of relaxation. More generally swimming helps keep my heart healthy and exercises every part of my body, the best form of exercise I think.

"Swimming alone is my form of meditation...To me swimming is a true form of relaxation."

As some of you may have read in my previous Zoggs Swim Diaries, I’m training for the English Channel. My swim will take place anytime from 28 August to 4 September later this summer. My training is now back on track after suffering a bit of a blow last year when I had a very bad case of pneumonia and had to take 3 months out, this didn’t make me #SwimHappy at all! But I kept a positive mindset by watching my friends enjoy their sea swims from the beach, and passing the time with loads of swimming magazines and books. I decided to take the positive out of a negative experience by looking on it as mental training, the biggest challenge of channel swimming, making sure your head is in the right place to accomplish such a feat. I feel much stronger now, mentally and physically, my lungs have fully repaired, and although I still get some fatigue and days where I don’t have the energy to do much, I’m glad I experienced it all. It has made me appreciate life much more, and from that, made me a happier person. The swim training has helped make me healthy once again. Although I would love to have the old ‘bouncy and full of energy Tigger-like’ me back. One day, hopefully…

"This is an experience like no other and I'm lucky to be attempting it."

I have many more miles and many long swims to go to be ready for my English Channel swim. I will be building up over the next few months to 7 and 6 hour weekends, but I’m going to make sure I have fun getting ready for it, even on the big day itself! This is an experience like no other and I’m lucky to be attempting it. I hope there will be many smiles to be had amongst all the grimaces from the potential jellyfish stings and exertion of it all, and along with my crew we’ll make some great memories and have an experience to cherish forever. I’ll be very happy to get to the start line in Dover, I’ll be even happier if I reach the finish line and get to France, or rather no “ifs”, I mean, “WHEN” I reach that beach in France. Positive thinking and all that!

After all this training for the English Channel I have discovered that for me, swimming is not always about getting from A to B or achieving a time or a distance, weather and light play a huge part of the experience. Swims at sunset are very special; there is a peaceful tranquility that comes from swimming at this time of day as the sky and sea are ever changing shades of gold that grow deeper as the sun sets. Moonlight swims are simply magical, as the moon lights up the sea with its silver reflections you feel you are swimming through a milky darkness. Finally swims when it is raining make you feel happy to be alive, you’re wet anyway so a bit of rain isn’t going to make you any wetter, but getting dry can be a challenge and a half. Why not have a go and try it, I guarantee you will feel #SwimHappy…

I’m swimming the English Channel for five charities, and I’m over half way to my target to raise £5,000, please sponsor me here https://www.justgiving.com/teams/DeborahsEnglishChannelSwim