For many of us, the thought of swimming in the open water of the ocean may feel unnatural and scary. The experience can rouse a sense of uncertainty: of not knowing what is beneath, and being – at least to some degree - at the mercy of Mother Nature. So what makes swimmers fall in love with the open water? Some mention the feeling of freedom in the water, others the exhilaration of the cold or the feeling of accomplishment after many months of training has led to a successful swim. What is clear is that all of these factors indicate the contribution open water swimming can have to our general wellbeing. Recently I spent time with a number of female open water swimmers from my home in Guernsey. Many of these women swim all year round, come rain or shine. Some train professionally as endurance swimmers, competing in competitions, whilst others simply enjoy the opportunity to spend time together; forging lifelong friendships with the ever deepening open water swimming community. >>

Somewhat surprisingly, I learnt that many of these ladies only took up the sport as they have grown older. As women, we have a lot of societal pressures placed upon us regarding body image and fitness levels and for many people with families, making time for leisure activities can be difficult. These ladies' physical body strength, body shapes and backgrounds are varied and diverse. They have all set aside valuable time from their daily lives to achieve their own personal goals; and in doing so have challenged themselves to accomplish great things. It appears with time and age these women have come to embrace themselves as swimmers. I was glad of the opportunity to explore how this facet of their life fits against the backdrop of the societal pressures that women bare. The variety of goals and achievements harboured by the women I met were inspiring for me. I was most impressed by the extent of the accomplishments and was struck when I learned that many of these ladies have swum across a fast-flowing three mile stretch of water between St Peter Port and the Island of Herm known as the ‘Little Russell.' >>

My Swimmers series of photographs is a celebration of the accomplishments of these women who have differing levels of skill and ability and who all embody the open water swimming experience.