Getting Better with Age
My Oceanman World Championship Experience in Dubai
Hey Swimmers,
At 47, I’m swimming better than I ever have. That might sound surprising, and I’m often asked how that’s possible. Is it the training program? The technique work? The long aerobic swims? Those all play a part, of course. But the real reason is simpler: a few years ago, I genuinely fell in love with swimming again and finally understood the role it plays in my life.
Those years between 2020 and 2023 were super challenging. Like everyone, we faced the uncertainty of the pandemic, but I was also dealing with a difficult business situation that placed real strain on my family and on the very future of Swim Smooth itself. It was a confronting time, and it forced me to choose whether I would let it wear me down or use it to rebuild with greater clarity and purpose. I tried to focus on what I could control, starting with my own swimming - leading by example, steadying myself, and finding strength in the water when everything else felt uncertain.
Plenty of people offered well-meaning advice during this period. Try yoga for the mind. Lift more weights for strength. Do more flexibility work. All perfectly valid if they resonate with you.
But with the limited time I have available to train, I want to spend it doing the one activity that gives me everything I’m looking for in one functional, purposeful package. The pool is where I settle my mind. It’s where I build strength in the way swimmers actually need it. And while I still can’t touch my toes, I can race – and often beat – swimmers a third of my age who can contort themselves into a pretzel.
Swimming well isn’t just a goal for me; it’s woven into my life. Yes, I can be a little predictable at a dinner party with my passion for stroke mechanics and training theory, but it’s surprisingly disarming to say you’re a swim coach who gets to travel the world and work with people chasing ambitious, exciting challenges.
So when the chance came up to head to Dubai for my first Oceanman event – their World Championship Final – I didn’t hesitate. They claim to be open water swimming… and I had to find out for myself.
Spoiler: they’re not wrong.
The Build-Up: A Global Gathering of Swimmers
From the moment I arrived, the scale of the event struck me. Swimmers from over 80 countries, a mix of nerves and excitement in the warm desert air, and that familiar sense of shared purpose you only find before a big open water race.
What I love most about these gatherings is that they strip everything back. Your age, your background, your CV, your job title - none of that matters when you’re standing barefoot on the sand, cap in hand, waiting for the horn to sound.
Everyone’s there for the same reason: to test themselves, to experience something special, and to feel part of a larger community. It’s the same spirit we nurture in every Swim Smooth Squad around the world - supportive, inclusive, and grounded in helping one another get the most out of the sport.
Pre-Race Observations: The Coach Brain Activates
I wasn’t there to “race to win”. I was there to enjoy the challenge and immerse myself in a race format I’d never done before. To test myself and see how that CSS pace would shake down. But the coach in me is never far away.
The moment I walked towards the shoreline, I started scanning:
The direction and strength of the current
The placement of the turn buoys
The angle of the sun for sighting
The texture of the water - yes, that’s a thing
Where the quickest line might be
How the packs might form
What’s the temperature of the water (luckily only 27ºC after my recent Malaysia experience at >31ºC!)
It reminded me how much confidence comes from accumulated experience. Not talent. Not youth. Experience.
The Start: Settling Into the Rhythm
The start line was buzzing. Music, cheering, nervous chatter - all the signs of an event trying to be both professional and welcoming, and succeeding at both.
Once the horn went, it was the usual washing-machine of arms and legs, but it settled quickly. Initially I found a great pair of feet to sit on, dialled in the stroke rate I knew would hold, and focused on swimming smart, not just “hard”.
This is exactly the sort of thing we teach in structured open water training:
Be efficient.
Be aware of your environment.
Stay relaxed.
Don’t get greedy early.
I felt calm, controlled, and comfortable - a nice change from some of the more chaotic race starts I’ve experienced over the years.
Responding to the Dynamics
Very rapidly it became evident that my “nice pair of feet” were drifting well left of the course, so I abandoned that option and decided to forge ahead alone, where I stayed for the next 9.7km of the entire 10km swim. This was going to be a true test of what I could do - a little like a solo “time trial” effort on the bike.
My personal best time over this distance is 2h08m set at the Best Fest in Mallorca, Spain in May 2025, however, that was sat within a group for the entire swim (and what a lovely ride it was too!). Knowing that the Men’s World Championship Final Wave had set off 15 minutes before me with a field of over 130 swimmers (the Top-20 of whom all swam under 2h20m), I knew I would be at a big disadvantage swimming alone, but that was the situation I was presented with, so I doubled-down and just aimed to execute the very best swim that I could do and tried to catch as many swimmers in front of me as possible.
I felt like I had the foot on the gas the entire way, only stopping for one gel at 7km, and averaging 81.6spm for the entire swim, which, coincidentally, was also the stroke rate I sustained to win the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2013.
I cannot quite describe just how good I felt for the entire swim - not a single dip at all - and likely buoyed-up by the confidence that all my prior training and taper had gone perfectly to plan. I know that sounds like a bit of a “show off” but when you enter that flow-state - and it doesn’t happen very often - it’s always worth acknowledging it so that you can draw upon these memories when you’re not feeling quite so good.
Mid-Race: Where the Real Work Begins
Open water races always have a “moment of truth”. Mine came halfway through, when the pack behind me surged.
You know that instant when the whole group silently agrees: let’s pick this up?
I had a decision to make - fear the surge or maintain my own tempo and trust the long game. With a warm sea, light chop, and a long way still to swim, I trusted the latter.
My stroke felt fantastic. Timing smooth, rate consistent, line good. These are the moments where technique becomes your best friend. Not the big, flashy aspects - just those subtle skills that hold you together when fatigue creeps in.
When the group eased again, I was able to continue to pull away for the final time.
The Final Stretch: Finding Joy in the Effort
The last two kilometres was where everything clicked. I felt strong. I felt present. And most importantly, I felt grateful.
You simply don’t get this sensation on dry land - the combination of exertion, rhythm, focus, and the calming effect of the water. It’s meditative. Honest. Pure.
And that’s exactly why swimming is such an anchor in my life and the lives of so many who join our squads or connect with Swim Smooth coaching around the world.
As I exited the water and crossed the line, I didn’t check the time immediately. I just took in the atmosphere - swimmers from all over the world congratulating one another, sharing stories, comparing lines they took, laughing about their mistakes.
This is open water swimming at its best.
What I Learned (and What I Hope You Take Away)
This event reminded me of a few simple truths:
Improvement doesn’t stop when you reach a certain age.
Efficiency beats brute strength - every time.
Confidence comes from skills, not hope.
Training doesn’t need to be perfect, just consistent and purposeful.
Community is everything.
These are the same principles we live and breathe at Swim Smooth, whether through squad sessions, 1-to-1 video analysis, or the GURU platform. Coaching the swimmer, not the stroke. Meeting each individual where they are. Helping them find their path through the water.
Closing Thoughts: Still Falling in Love With the Sport
More than anything, Oceanman Dubai reminded me that this sport continues to give - physically, mentally, socially - at every stage of life. The joy of improvement is timeless. The satisfaction of a well-executed swim never fades. And the connection we find in the water might just be one of the most valuable things of all.
If you’re reading this and wondering how to get more out of your own swimming - whether that’s efficiency, consistency, confidence, or simply enjoyment - you’re in the right place. It’s what Swim Smooth was built for.
And yes, I’ll definitely be back for another Oceanman - these guys truly are open water swimming!
Your Coach, Paul
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