Professional swimming coach Harriet Green reveals how her love of the open water has supported her physically, mentally and financially. And the small challenge of an English Channel Relay this July with some of her Swim for Cake chums from Dorset.
I have been a leisure swimmer all my life, mainly to keep fit. It never occurred to me how much more it would become, until recently. I have lived with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember, due to a very unhappy childhood. When my marriage broke down, I increasingly turned to swimming, and I also started running. They became my escape, a place to clear my head. Finding myself as a single parent, and not wanting to return to my original career of engineering, I retrained as a swimming teacher. Gradually I started increasing my distances in the pool, but soon I sought out bigger challenges.
After attending an introduction to open water swimming, I entered the Dart 10k, one of the most famous UK open water swimming events. It wasn’t a straightforward journey getting to the start line in Devon though. My summer months of training were spent mostly injured - first a broken hand from a motorbike accident, then three torn ligaments in my ankle. However, what nearly destroyed me was a new relationship that rapidly got out of hand. He was controlling, jealous and obsessive, and three days before the swim, I was held against my will in my own home. He was subsequently removed by the police, leaving me emotionally and financially broken. I’m amazed I even made it to the start line. But I did.
Fuelled by adrenalin (and too much rum), panic hit me as my feet entered the cold waters of the River Dart at Totnes. Surrounded by hundreds of other swimmers on that September morning, I quickly realised that I could either quit, or just keep going. Somewhere in my head, a voice said, ‘If you have managed to get through the last few days then you can face anything. What is the worst thing that could happen?’ So, I took a deep breath and kept walking into the water until I was swimming.
The mass start with elbows everywhere and being swum over could easily have sent me into a deeper panic. Instead, I felt my focus coming in. With every stroke, my body relaxed into a rhythm of arms reaching through the water, breathing in and out. The noise in my head quietened. I had 10km to cover, and nearly three hours of beautiful healing therapy. I knew that I had found something amazing. That was the swim that changed, and possibly saved, my life.
After that experience, I continued to swim as much as I could - in the sea, rivers and lakes, the colder the better. I found that in the cold, the focus could only be on survival, leaving no space for the anxiety chatter and destructive inner voices. After a couple of winters swimming through in skins (without a wetsuit) I noticed how much it improved my mental health after each swim. I also started to feel confident about my ability as a swimmer. I believed in myself. Not something I am used to.
Then, in March 2020 lockdown happened. I had to stop swimming. It was like asking someone to stop taking their anti-depressants. I lost my escape, my place to breathe, the sea was my solace and support. Without my natural therapy I started drinking more.
Once lockdown started to lift after a couple of months, I got back in the sea. By this point others were taking to the open water and a few friends asked if I could help them build their confidence with sea swimming. Some were training for triathlon events; others had heard about the mental health benefits of cold-water swimming and wanted to experience it for themselves. Soon a little group of like-minded individuals formed, and it became a regular meet up with a swim followed by a ‘putting the world to rights’ social after.
However, I was still drinking heavily. In January 2021, waking up with yet another hangover, I decided enough was enough. I spent the day planning my business, determined to be present for my children. I wanted to make the best of my life and I would use the water to help me achieve this. When lockdown lifted, I was able to complete my Open Water Coaching Qualification and then I set up my business - Aquatic Harriet.
With many pools still closed, a lot more people were taking up open water swimming, but not all of them understood the potential risks. So, I started by offering Introductions to Cold Water. With lots of personal experience and research, my goal was to help people get into the open water safely, confidently and competently. I also knew first-hand how much it helps with mental health, something that many people were struggling with after prolonged periods of lockdown.
The original Monday evening social group continued to meet up, supporting each other through friendship, swimming and cake. It was a big part of my recovery from alcohol. I will be forever grateful for our Swim for Cake club. But how did we go from a group of cake loving women, to swimming an English Channel Relay?
Over a slice of post-swim cake, I joked with Natalie, who I have known for years, that we should do a Channel relay. However, the joke became an aspiration in January 2022 when we formed a team, booked our boat and pilot within 12 days, and started planning for our swim in 2023. It felt like a long way off at the time, and we have had a lot happen since then, including house moves, shoulder surgery, and two hysterectomies. But, a determined bunch, we have continued to train throughout, come rain or shine, for our Swim for Cake Channel Relay.
Now our ‘swim window’, on a spring tide from July 19 to 22, is almost upon us. The 22-mile Channel crossing starts from a beach near Dover. We will be aiming for the closest point on the French coast, Cap Griz-Nez, west of Calais. Whether we hit that point depends on several factors, including how we swim, the weather and the tides. We will take it in turns to swim for an hour alongside the boat, wearing no more than a swimsuit, swimming cap, goggles, ear plugs and a light during the dark, until such time that one of us touches France. Historically, the water temperature for our crossing will be between 15°C to 18°C. We are well prepared after a winter of training hard in the pool. We’ve also been regularly swimming in Weymouth Bay, acclimatising and getting used to all different sea conditions. We've also been doing night swims, which are a lot of fun.
This is probably the biggest challenge that any of us have taken on, so we wanted to make a difference for others by raising money for three amazing charities, close to our hearts. Young Minds - a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents (youngminds.org.uk), Birth Trauma Association UK - which supports women who have had a traumatic birth experience (birthtraumaassociation.org.uk) and 100 and First Foundation – a charity which believes in giving offenders the inspiration, hope and self-worth to create a positive personal change to prevent re-offending (100andfirst.com).
Training for the Channel Relay has been a big part of my healing journey. The water has helped me to get to a much better place, a safe space to grow my adult and comfort my inner child, which, alongside my own watery therapy, is opening my eyes to what life can be like. It’s about trying to replicate the effect of the water, so I can swim through space and time on land, learning to regulate my nervous system and continue to heal my trauma, just like I’m able to do in the water. I have an amazing therapist, and I’m now 29 months sober and counting.
Over time I have found my Wu Wei, the Daoist art of going with the flow and the effortless action that the water gives me. For a while, it was my kids who held my purpose, but as they have started discovering their independence, I’ve been allowed the freedom to find the water again. I’ve been lucky enough to make it into a career and I am making a difference to other people’s lives as well as my own.
So, dig out that swimsuit, grab a fluffy towel, pack a slice of cake and immerse yourself in Dorset’s healing watery world.
Couch to Bay and other swims
Launched in 2022, Couch to Bay is for people who can swim 25m in a pool and are looking for a challenge in the open water. It features weekly group coaching sessions in Weymouth Bay covering technique, open water skills, water confidence and stamina. Participants build up to either a half, full, or 2-way swim of the bay, which is 2.4 miles from end to end. At the end of their final swim, everyone gets a shiny Couch to Bay medal. I also offer Introductions to Open Water and Cold-Water Swimming (any ability) as well as group River Dipping. I have plans to combine all my experiences: endurance swimming training, trauma healing and cold-water therapy. I’m also on the lookout for a personal sponsor to help me achieve an ever-growing list of long swim challenges. Check out Aquatic Harriet on Facebook/Instagram pages or aquaticharriet.com
My Favourite Dorset Dips
The Jurassic Coast has a lot of lovely places to swim. There are also rivers and lakes, but it is important to know whose land you might be on when getting in or out, and, sadly these days, be aware of pollution issues.
Litton Lakes: Busy in the summer with campers, in winter this lake near Dorchester is very quiet with just the resident geese, moorhens, and sometimes swans. Lovely café open at weekends with great cakes.
River Stour: Several good spots for a dip such as Sturminster Newton Mill, Colber Bridge and Fiddleford Manor. Watch out for anglers and their fishing lines.
Pool on the Frome: Just beyond Grey’s Bridge in Dorchester is an old swimming pool built into the river with easy access. Busy in summer.
Worbarrow Bay: As this requires walking through Lulworth Military Ranges it’s not so overcrowded. Beach only accessible when there’s no firing (check here: gov.uk/government/publications/lulworth-firing-notice)
Durdle Door: On a calm day, swim through the arch and around to Man O' War Bay – not to be attempted without good sea swimming experience.
Dancing Ledge: Bit of a scramble down to this location, you need to get the tide right for access to the tidal pool.
Chesil Cove: Can offer a stunning sunset swim on a calm day, easterly winds.
Red Cliff Point: Set out from Bowleaze Cove on a calm, clear day to swim over beautiful seaweed and look down at the underwater world. Carry on round to Eweleaze Beach for a picnic. Walk or swim back.
