Open water swimming is growing in popularity.   JAINE BLACKMAN meets a sportswoman who has turned her passion into a profession – and then takes the plunge to see what all the fuss is about...

Annie Oberlin-Harris is a swinger and she doesn’t care who knows about it. But don’t get the wrong idea – it’s a description of her swimming style. “It enables you to clear waves and choppy water. It has a straighter arm recovery – it’s not pretty but it enables you to go faster in open water,” says swim coach Annie, 27, who teaches everyone from complete beginners to elite athletes.

As well as coaching in the pool, Annie is now taking open water swimming sessions at Queenford Lakes, Berinsfield. “Open water swimming is rapidly becoming very popular,” says Annie, who started the sessions a couple of months ago and hopes to continue them through to October, weather permitting.

“You have to modify your stroke for conditions. In the open water I teach things like sighting – a way of navigation without disturbing your stroke rhythm when you don’t have the bottom of a pool to follow – and drafting, when you swim behind the feet of someone or on their hip and save 38 per cent of energy expenditure.”

The techniques are particularly useful for triathletes for the swimming stage of the multi-discipline sport. “I drafted a fast man in a sprint triathlon [swam over 750 metres] and came out two minutes ahead of the next woman,” she adds.

Annie has numerous district, county and national achievements and awards in multiple sports including swimming, running and triathlon.

She puts that down to technique too, and is happy to share her expertise. “I’ve always been good at sports and it’s led me to a career I’m passionate about,” she says.

Her love of sports began as a youngster but it was at Oxford Brookes it really took off. While studying for a degree in sports, exercise science and psychology, she was asked to help someone train for the swimming part of a triathlon. “He said I was quite good at coaching. I was a full-time student at the time but I looked into it and went from there.”

As well as getting coaching qualifications and starting her own training company, Annie also started competing in triathlons.

It’s the fastest-growing sport in the world at the moment, according to Annie, who puts its popularity down to the fact you get to do swimming, cycling and running, so it breaks the boredom of just training for one discipline and cuts down the chances of injury from repetitive movement.

“The 40 to 55 year age bracket is growing the fastest, so it seems to be something you go on to rather than start with,” she observes, adding that at shorter distances – the super sprint and sprint triathlons – there seems to be 50-50 mix of male and female competitors.

“I think women prefer to train with a partner and you can go for a bike ride or swim or jog with a friend.” The ratio changes as distances increase. Annie recently went to Nice to watch boyfriend Ali Hollest, 31, compete in an ironman competition (which he completed in 11 hours 47 minutes).

“Only about five per cent taking part were women,” she said. Another passion for Annie, originally from Stroud, is where she lives. “I love Oxford – you’ve got countryside and city amenities if you want them. I live near Donnington Bridge and I walk or run along the river every day with my dog, Millie.”

Next up for Annie is the Brighton Pier Swim tomorrow, where she’ll be taking part in the 2.5km middle distance challenge event . . . and putting her swinging technique to the test.

 

WHY NOT HAVE A GO?

*  Annie was recently headhunted by acclaimed coaching company Swim Smooth to help it expand globally. As a coach and project leader she is helping develop a new learn to swim programme and gives advice online through social media.
She continues to run her own business offering one to one or group coaching. For details see www.anniefitness.co.uk or call 07429 830696.

*  Open water swimming sessions, at £15, are held at the Oxford Wakeboard and Ski Centre, Queenford Lakes, Berinsfield, OX10 7PQ every Monday from 6.30 to 7.30pm. You must wear a wetsuit and be able to swim 200m. Contact Annie, or see her website, to book a place.