10 Hour Training Swim for Team India

10 Hour Training Swim for Team India

By Karen Quartermain

May 25, 2021

It was a shaky restart again, with pool access being super limited and travel restrictions in place, but many swimmers remained focused and kept with the theory that every little helps. Team India are Wales-based, and travel restrictions meant no regular meet-ups with the coaches at Uswim venues. This did not stop the team, who continued to train local to them, following a plan created by Uswim Adventure.

On Tuesday 25th May, four of the five team members met at Windermere to take part in a 10-hour training swim. The team consists of Claire, Rebecca, Angie, Cate, and Emily. The day was beautiful and the team were super excited to finally get out on the boat, practice relay changeovers, and discuss all those little worries and concerns about the actual relay day.

Captain Dave went through the plan for the day and then they were off. Team leader Claire started the day with a powerful performance. Claire has a visual impairment, which brings concerns about sighting the boat and reading signals from the crew; however, she adapted perfectly and gave the team a great start. As team leader, she has been absolutely key in bringing training together and organizing in general.

The second swimmer, absolutely fizzing with nerves and excitement, was Angie—an absolute gem who really does just get up and go. After another strong swim stint, Emily took over. Relay changeovers were practiced with no problems, and the team learned a lot about the required kit—what they need and what they don't.

Emily is the only team member who doesn't dig front crawl; she pushes her way through the water very elegantly using breaststroke. Having not really been swimming for a long time, she has made the most improvement within the team, and her calm persona is a real asset. Emily also has Type 1 Diabetes and has been learning how to manage her glucose levels during the training sessions, teaching her team members about it as well.

The last swimmer in on this day was Cate, the "pocket rocket." Another team member always smiling and making everyone laugh, her positivity is infectious. With each team member having such a drive for fun and life, the English Channel is going to be bubbling with positivity.

After 10 hours of swimming between them, the training day ended with a more confident Team India. They are raising money for the RNLI.

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