Why Swimming Means More Than It Used To

Tips from the grand-old Duke of York (well, nearly!)

Hey Swimmers,

At 47, I genuinely feel more connected to swimming than at any other point in my life.

Not necessarily because I’m fitter.

Not because I’m chasing times.

And certainly not because training suddenly became easier.

In many ways, swimming simply means something deeper now.

When I was younger, especially during my years in elite triathlon, swimming was often tied heavily to performance. Sessions had outcomes. Targets. Expectations. Pressure. If training went well, life felt good. If it didn’t, everything felt harder.

Many swimmers know that feeling.

But over time, and especially through some genuinely difficult years personally and professionally, my relationship with swimming changed.

I stopped seeing it purely as something that needed to produce results.

And started appreciating what it gave back emotionally.

That shift changed everything.

These days, some of my favourite sessions aren’t the fastest ones. They’re the mornings when the ocean is glassy at Cottesloe. The squad sessions where everyone is laughing despite the pain of a hard set. The conversations afterwards over coffee. The simple rhythm of moving through water after a stressful day.

Swimming became less about proving something.

And more about reconnecting with myself.

I think many adult swimmers eventually arrive at this point too.

Especially after setbacks.

Injuries. Family pressures. Work stress. Health scares. Loss of confidence.

Swimming becomes the constant.

Not because it solves every problem, but because for an hour or so it creates space away from them.

One of the most rewarding parts of coaching now is seeing swimmers discover that same feeling for themselves. Some arrive terrified of the water. Some haven’t exercised in years. Others are carrying enormous life stress.

Then gradually, over months and years, the pool or ocean becomes their reset button.

Their community.

Their therapy.

Their challenge.

Their joy.

And perhaps that’s why our squads work so well globally. Yes, people improve technically and physically. But underneath all of that is something much more human. People simply enjoy belonging to something positive and supportive.

Swimming is unique like that.

You suffer together.

You laugh together.

You quietly support each other.

And over time, those kilometres become tied to memories, friendships and resilience far beyond the black line.

Performance still matters of course. We all enjoy improving.

But perhaps the real magic of swimming is that eventually it stops being purely about the clock.

And starts becoming part of who you are.

Thanks for reading my ramblings, your coach, Paul.