Meet the Swannies!

The wild swimming group that created a community of support throughout lockdown

Over the first lockdown in 2020, some female residents of Falmouth, Cornwall joined each other in their regular wild swimming. Overtime, more people joined them in their morning swim through mutual friends at Swanpool Beach and they eventually formed the group ‘The Swannies’. The group provided a real sense of community for the women when it was needed most.

I joined Hero, Paula, Izabela and Glyn for their morning swim on Saturday 2nd April and learnt more about their journey within the group. The group has been a support system for the women and benefited each of them greatly. One of the women stated that the group was her motivation to get out and do things in a time where life felt very still, another said that it helped her recover from a back injury and chronic pain.

“Swimming has always been my preferred form of exercise and ever more so since incurring back injury from a boating accident a couple of years before lockdown. A friend put me in touch with Glyn one of the ‘Swannies’ and I joined this small group of remarkable women. We are an eclectic mix and all offer very different perspectives. Positivity emanates from all. We are there for each other. Someone is always available to give support in any form. It’s all a rather magical experience and a wonderful bond has developed between us.”

- Paula Whitbread-Roberts

“I swim because I enjoy the changing sea and the connection to nature. The chance to see seals and birds where they are happy is wonderful. I am so grateful to the other Swannies who support me and each other while we brave the cold weather and bask in the summer sun.”

- Hero Selwood

“I swim in the sea as often as possible because I love it. Swimming at sunrise on a crispy winter day deepens my appreciation for the seasons. When I’m in the sea, even if I’ve had to walk across frozen sand, I feel at my most alive. Swimming with such fabulous women as I have found with the Swannies, is life affirming and is one of my life’s bonus! Starting the day with a sea swim and so many laughs and giggles is ace. I hope I will be swimming until the day I die, which, thanks to the swimming, may be a long time from now.”

– Glyn Winchester

From what I observed, I can tell that it is a very freeing and relaxing experience that is shared between women with a truly remarkable bond. From the shoreline I could hear the laughs of the ladies and liberating shouts, it really showed how much the group meant to them. The group meet several times a week and regularly joins events with the ‘She Swims Falmouth’ movement at the other beaches around Falmouth.

Follow the movement on social media to keep up to date and see how you can join in on the fun too.