Swim Your Own Swim
A Challenge to Conventional Norms in Open Water Swimming
Open water swimming is not just a physical pursuit but a spiritual one. It's a journey of self-discovery, battling the elements, and forging a personal connection with the vast expanses of water. However, the community faces challenges that, despite best intentions, seem insurmountable due to human fallibility.
The Inherent Challenges
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and in the world of open water swimming, all the links are fallible humans:
Boat pilots – Often prioritizing convenience and economics over swimmers’ desires.
Observers – Stories of falling asleep or not showing up at all abound.
Governing bodies – Varying rules across organizations, inconsistencies (or total lack) in communication, and a spectrum of services offered, creates numerous challenges.
Swimmers – Cheating, lying, embellishing, performance enhancing drugs, bending the rules – these cracks taint the achievements of honest swimmers and shake the community's core.
Economics – All of these links have a financial stake further increasing the potential for conflicts of interest and ethical compromises. There is clear collusion, restraint of trade, price-fixing, and monopolistic practices going on throughout the open water swimming world.
A Radical Idea: Swim Your Own Swim
Since humans are fallible and every link in the chain is prone to weaknesses, why not take a step back and return to the essence of open water swimming?
- Embrace Personal Responsibility: Encourage swimmers to take charge of their swims: Thoroughly research your own swim, your provider, and any support organization.
- Eliminate Third-Party Oversight: Remove the layers that add confusion and complexity, recognizing that adding more links can often create more weaknesses.
- Celebrate the Journey, Not Just the Destination: Recognize that the real victory is in personal growth, connections, and memories, not just in the final outcome of a specific swim.
Conclusion
This idea challenges the conventional chain of rules and oversight. It invites us to forge a new chain, one link at a time, by returning to the heart and soul of open water swimming.
Let's swim our own swims. Let's trust ourselves and each other. Let's recognize that a chain built on personal integrity and community spirit is stronger than one bound by rules and self-appointed authorities.