USWIM! in Salford Quays plays an instrumental part in the Warmcor journey as this is where Jenny started open water swimming as training for the Salford Sprint Triathlon back in 2016. From there on in, open water swimming has been an important part of Jenny’s life and that was facilitated by the safe environment that David Quartermain and his team delivers at Salford Quays.
Recently Jenny went back to her swimming roots to interview the man himself to hear where he sees the future of open-water swimming going.
Why did you start Uswim?
I'm an open water swimmer myself, and I recognised at that time that what we needed was supervised, safe venues for swimmers that had water safety and facilities.
So as an open-water swimmer, I created Uswim to meet the demands of open-water swimming.
I initially was incredibly attracted to open-water swimming. I used to live by a canal, in Marple, near Stockport, and that was my swimming pool. As a toddler, we used to swim in the canal, so I grew up in the open water. My mum was a lifeguard at the local baths, so I was a good swimmer. But my heart was in open water swimming, and I kind of fell in love with the idea of swimming the English Channel.
I always harboured that dream of swimming the English Channel. And so I used to do a lot of training in the open water to actually prepare me for big challenges like that. And then, I undertook a lot of those challenges in my mid-thirties. So from being a toddler to my thirties, swimming is something that I've always been doing and loved ever since.
How important are venues like Uswim for people starting open-water swimming?
With Uswim we have a number of different venues. We have the dock here in, Salford Quays, which we've been using for the last 15 years, which for us as an urban swimming environment is really, it's like a huge swimming pool. It's got a lot of safety. People, I think, feel always very close to the side of the walls. So if you get out of breath, you're maybe a bit unnerved. There's always a place you can go to as opposed to, say, swimming in the ocean or in a tarn or a lake where you might be a long way from the sides. If you looked at how we set the session up here in the quays, we have swim buoys out, we have water safety, and there are measured distances. So, you know, in lots of ways getting started in the open water, to come to a supervised session within an urban environment that has got supervision and water safety, it's probably the best place to start.
What are your top tips for people starting open-water swimming?
Open-water swimming has become really popular over the last few years and some top tips is always to swim within your limits. I would always advocate that you have the ability to swim maybe 400/750 meters indoors unaided before you venture outdoors. Because obviously outdoors you're out of your depth.
Always underestimate your own ability. Don't get too confident and decide to jump in the open water and push yourself too far.
Buddy up! Massive thing. When people are going wild swimming, do not be tempted to go out there on your own. Always buddy up. Let people know where you are. Maybe if you're not confident, stay within your depth. And a lot of it is just picking the brains of experienced people who swim in those particular places.
But, safety's everything. Wear a tow float, wear a swim cap, even wear a wetsuit, you know, use the equipment that is currently available within open water. Get a really nice dry robe [editors note: *cough* Or Changing Tube *cough*] or equipment that you can wear after the swim to keep you warm. And those are my top tips.
What is the best thing that you have witnessed from your time at Uswim?
The great thing about open-water swimming is it's incredibly accessible. So we have a number of people who almost have a pathological fear of being out the depth or being in cold water.
And it's been a brilliant privilege over the years to see some success stories.
There was a young man who was unable to swim, and I remember giving him some swimming lessons in a pool, getting into the open water, and he then swam the English Channel as part of a relay.
And when I introduced the idea of swimming the English Channel to him, it was like, not a chance. He could not even contemplate ever doing something so huge.
But through the training that we set in place and to see him develop his confidence was just incredible. And he actually swam the English Channel.
So, you know, I think you could count hundreds of stories similar from people who come, build their confidence, built the kind of stamina technique, and gone on to great things.
So this is why it's an absolute privilege working with Uswim.
Where do you see the future of open-water swimming going?
I think the future of open water is going to grow on its popularity and it's going to get bigger and bigger and there's going to be more venues opening. There's going to be more events. There's going to be lots more equipment for people to use.
But what gives me belief that it's going to get even more successful is it's so good for you. Swimming is amazing. I think swimming is physically brilliant, you know, for the heart and lungs, psychologically, open-water is just one of the things that's amazing for people's mental health.
So I think because it's like such an amazing, lovely, healthy thing to do, that's what probably gives me belief that it's going to grow and grow and grow.
