Hardy open water swimmers take on Sywell reservoir at launch of summer-long scheme

While most of us were busy eating our breakfasts on Saturday - 151 swimmers took on the open waters at Sywell Country Park in a competitive mile race.
Pictures by Kirsty Edmonds.Pictures by Kirsty Edmonds.
Pictures by Kirsty Edmonds.

The event saw swimming club members from around the county take a chilly dip in the reservoir waters as part of a new joint initiative that is set to run throughout the summer. Though the first weekend session saw only club members take part, from next week members of the public can head to Sywell for an open water dip too. The events, which will run on Saturday mornings with strict safety management from British Triathlon and the Royal Life Saving Society, will be overseen by at least two qualified lifeguards, session leaders and spotters to make them as safe as possible for swimmers. Director of Northamptonshire Sport, Chris Holmes, said: “It was great to see hundreds of people taking to the water last weekend for the launch of open water swimming in Northamptonshire. There was a real buzz at the event and for many of the participants, it was their first time swimming in open waters. Public swimming sessions start this Saturday at Sywell Country Park and we are encouraging people to give it a go. It really is the perfect opportunity to experience swimming from a totally different perspective. This permission is for managed open water swimming under strictly controlled circumstances and does not open the park up for swimming outside of scheduled events." More information about open water swimming at Sywell Country Park can be found on Northants Triathlon's website.

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