Wouter ten Hag: Why I Joined Otter

My name is Wouter ten Hag and I joined Otter for a slightly different reason.

I'm a trainee stunt performer and in order to become a fully-fledged stunt performer I needed to pass a swim test. The swim test was there to prove athletic ability but also stunt-specific scenarios like swimming with clothes on, swimming underwater and rescue scenarios. You can imagine a stunt performer who falls off a boat needs to be competent enough and be able to swim out of the frame without being seen on camera.

I'm thrilled to announce that I've passed my swim test!

I've been training with Otter since October last year, and without the well-designed training plans and technical help from the coaches, I could not have passed the test. I improved my abilities to the point that I had passed my expectations of how well a swimmer I could be. They even allowed me to swim with my clothes on, which also was a funny sight to the other members.

I'd like to thank Otters and the coaches for the space to train and, once my stunt training has finished, I hope to be back!

Wouter ten Hag

Aspire Jackals' channel swim

On Sunday morning I went back to the beach to sit and reflect on what the Aspire Jackals team did a couple of days before when we swam across the English channel. At 0200 on Friday 7 July I slid off the side of our support boat, the Gallivant, into murky looking water and swum 50m to shore to stand, spotlighted, under the white cliffs of Dover. With a brief opportunity to reflect on the magnitude of what we were about start and to consequently feel pretty small, the horn sounded and off I went. Physically, I found that first hour swim from 0200 the most challenging: I lost feeling in my hands and feet pretty much straight away; I struggled with positioning myself so that I could see the boat in the dark, not be blinded by the spotlight beaming down on me, and avoid the diesel fumes; and then my mind occasionally drifted into thinking about what might be beneath the surface. I was glad to be given the sign I had 15mins to go – and was disappointed to find that those final 15mins were tortuously long. Time did very weird things for all of us in those end stretches!

The Jackals team came together at the end of 2021 as a group of local friends of friends’, all triathletes or Masters swimmers. We fancied the idea of giving a channel relay swim a go and raising money for charity (Aspire) at the same time. We were scheduled to attempt our swim in Sept 2022. Cue spending the spring and summer of 2022 jumping into various lakes, reservoirs, and bits of the south coast to make sure that we were properly prepped for the challenge. And then the weather stepped in. We were unlucky to hit an unsettled period where there were no long windows of calm seas and little wind. We had to postpone and accept that 2022 wouldn’t be our year. While this was very frustrating at the time, in hindsight I think it brought the team together and meant that we really appreciated having the opportunity in early July 2023. And when the weather gods properly smiled on us it was the icing on the cake.  

My second and third swims (getting in at 8am and then 2pm) were idyllic in comparison to the first. Beautiful blue/green sea, amazing water clarity, the sun baking down, and barely a ripple. I’ve watched some of the video of these swims and I just relax – which doesn’t feel right as at the time I definitely wasn’t relaxed while I powered on as hard as I could. There’s an odd disconnect but seeing myself float along just makes me exhale and feel at peace. And then, just 12hrs40mins after starting, I had the privilege of finishing our swim on rocks just down the side of the Cap Gris, with the rest of the team jumping in so we could swim in and touch land together.  

I’m not sure what my expectations were of how I would feel after. I do a lot of ploughing up and down a swimming pool, so technically 2-3 hours of swimming was physically in my comfort zone. But this was swimming at max for sustained periods (not my normal 50m dash!), in the middle of a not very warm sea, not to mention a busy shipping lane, managing sleep deprivation and possible sea sickness, and all the good things that the sea can throw at you (jellyfish – gah). Safe to say I was absolutely physically broken by the end – I had to be literally peeled off the floor when Dave came to pick me up and over the weekend I slept for 22 of the 48 hours. My brain felt pickled, my spine was as stiff as an old twig, and my arm was sporting some nice jellyfish welts. Safe to say I underestimated the physical demands!  

And then I think about the team of six swimmers, plus our Aspire team leader. A group which didn’t really know each other at the start of this journey. Who shared over the course of that boat trip some of our biggest vulnerabilities, challenges, highs and lows. We were there to support one another, to be a crutch when we saw it was needed, and ultimately come away feeling a powerful sense of belonging. Not forgetting raising a good chunk of cash for a deserving charity. I definitely underestimated the power of a team and the magnified sense of shared achievement by doing something hard with a lovely group of people.  

And so now it’s back to reality. The pull of a shared goal isn’t there anymore and it can be easy to feel at a bit of a loss and lacking some purpose. One of my reasons for writing this it to recognise that we asked a lot of ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally and to turn straight from that into the next challenge might not be the healthiest – re-charging is probably very necessary. I’ll be taking it easy for a bit and enjoying the glow of creating memories which will stick with me for a very long time.

Gina Hobson

Otter Mile 2023

The Otter Mile this year started under a grey sky. Although some swimmers showed initial relectancy towards swimming in colder-than-QMSC temperatures! Howver, isn’t that one of the charms of open water swimming? We didn’t measure but the more experienced open water swimmers reckoned it was a balmy 18C ;-)
There were three trophies to be won in one single race.
The trophy for first male swimmer went to David Adamson who fought a long side-by-side battle against Pip Bennett who had to let David go in the last couple of metres.
The trophy for fastest female swimmer went to Alice Dinsdale-Young. Well, we know where the trophy is and we’ll hand it to her on the next occasion.
The Jack Cunningham Salver trophy for best handicap race is going to John Goodbody. John has clearly been doing some extra training and finished in 34:40. Not bad for somebody who is just over three times the age of the youngest participant!

Handicap races update

I know that some will say that Camille bribed her way to the win in last Sunday’s 150FS handicap race, but the truth is that she did swim very fast compared to previous times. And that’s what it comes down to in handicap races. So well done Camille.
In second and third place we have Richard Croydon and Alex Fraster (welcome back!). Richard climbs up in the overall ranking and is now joint second with Chris Daniels and Pip Bennett. Two points clear of them is Alice Dinsdale-Young.
This can all rapidly change though with two handicap races on Thursday and the 200 handicap next Sunday!

Handicap update

Very well done to Alex, Tom and Deirdre for their top 3 places at the sealed 100m free. Deirdre swam as fast as nearly 10 years ago, not bad. I wish I could do that!
Very well done to everyone attempting the 400IM. It’s not for the faint hearted. Many of us are already intimidated enough by the prospect of more than 2 lengths of fly, so great job finishing that 400IM. Well done Ana, Alice and Matt for their top 3 places! Again, Anna is not showing any signs of ageing as she still swims times from many years ago. Well worth mentioning that Richard Croydon, new member and likely twice the age of the youngest contender.

Overall (although it’s very early days) Anna, Chris and myself are in shared first place. What can I say, it pays off attending events with fewer participants! Check out the swim calendar for the coming events!

Posidonia 10km Race, Ibiza by Will Ellis

Posidonia 10km Race. Ibiza - 2nd October 2022

I first heard about the annual Posidonia 10km race when I read an article published in Outdoor Swimmer Magazine by Ray Gibbs (of Swim Canary Wharf Fame). In his article, Ray explained how the 2021 race was called off after swarm after swarm of Jelly Fish kept appearing and Ray was stung approximately 36 times… these Mediterranean Jelly Fish are somewhat known as “bastardos” (no need to translate from Spanish) as they really do hurt, there were pictures to prove it of poor Ray standing by an ambulance being slathered in anti-venom cream.

Having grown up in Ibiza (my claim to fame is that my father opened the first nightclub there back in the ’70s); I was taken aback that such a race existed in Ibiza that I knew nothing about AND it was a race from the well-known beach Cala D’Hort out and around the island of Es Vedra, an island that is shrouded in folklore and legend.

The island of Es Vedra (and Vedranell) off Ibiza’s West Coast is where the Lay Lines in the Mediterranean cross; Es Vedra is full of Aluminium and is the third most magnetic rock in the world. Whenever one approaches it by boat on an automatic pilot, the compasses deviate off course. I’ve seen it many times. Not only that, boats have vanished without a trace around the waters and people have experienced alien landings from above - and below. I know this from the diary of a hermit, who lived and operated the lighthouse on Es Vedra for many many years; the diary was translated by a friend of my fathers and the hermit experienced all of these phenomena. What the diary doesn’t mention is the indigenous species of hallucinogenic plant that also lives on Es Vedra, so in fairness, the poor hermit may just have been hungry and high.

Es Vedra has spooked me all my life and I once vowed as a child that I would never swim in its waters… until I found Ray’s article, and curiosity or perhaps race envy got the better of me, and I decided to sign up. The chance to bury my fears perhaps? I also managed to convince my brother and a couple of other club swimmers to pop out and have a jolly with me. Clearly, I was betting on the old ‘safety in numbers adage’… (there’s also a 5km race for those unwilling to do the full 10km).

The weather at that time of year can be a bit hit and miss and when we arrived on the island a few days before, we were greeted with howling winds, waves and … swarms of jellyfish on our side of the island; although the weather did look like it would clear for the day of the race, which it mercifully did. A beautiful, clear, picture-postcard day arrived for race day and we were most grateful - except for the purple-headed menaces that potentially lurked beneath the warm sea.

At the briefing, the word ‘medusa’ (Jellyfish in Spanish) kept being banded around, and we were advised what to do when we saw one… basically swim away, or further out to sea. Great. Thanks for that. Solid advice! The 50-strong race party were told jellyfish were definitely about but not “swarming”…To be fair that’s fine by me, I don’t mind being stung particularly on occasion, and, as Ray Gibbs has said in the past, “a single sting should never ruin a swim”. It’s just the idea of many of them stinging at the same time that worries me and many others. Indeed, I had prepared for this eventuality with an Arena Open Water race suit (still non-wetsuit) to offer further protection than jammers; and slathering myself in a special, expensive suncream that was designed to protect you from the stings.

When the starter pistol sounded it became clear that neither idea offered the least protection as I was stung on my chest swimming directly into the only jellyfish near the shore in my exuberance to get out in front. Money well spunked, I though. Damn.

I quickly found myself in the lead and had a race plan in my head as to where I would feed (we were carrying gels in tow floats); and at my first feed at 3.5km, I was 300m or more out in front. All going well… but it was shortly after this that I hit my first swarm. I swam left, I swam right - I even swam back the way I had come and quickly realised that I was utterly enveloped, like a fat man sitting on a smartie. Except the fat man was thousands of tiny purple “bastardos” aimlessly floating in my area desperate to hurt me and I was the unfortunate smartie. There was no way through, I put my hand in the air and explained my predicament to the RIB nearby… while being stung repeatedly again and again. After being hauled into the RIB, the driver went back 300m to the chase group of four swimmers and picked them out of the water as well. Relived to be out, I began to think that either the race was over or (worse) my lead had been squandered! We were driven 100m out to sea, quickly checked the surrounding area (clear) and the race was back on. In we went, together… the race started, again. I think the organisers then altered the course for the people behind to swim around this marauding hive of stingers.

On we swam, cautiously looking at each other to see if we were being picked off like that scene in an Alien movie when everyone knows they are about to be eaten but daren’t scream… but no more swarms appeared.

The jellyfish did come in small waves from here on in and although I was stung at pretty regular intervals, they were more or less isolated incidents… it felt a bit like dodgems, to be honest. I pushed hard and managed to open up a decent lead despite the one-foot swell and a strong counter-current on the way back around Es Vedra. On the final few kilometres to the finish, in stunningly shallow turquoise water, I decided I could afford to enjoy myself, swim comfortably, and not worry about the chase group, as I felt I had enough of a lead... A luxury I have rarely been able to have in open water racing, I’m usually chasing a faster swimmer or have someone on my feet.

In the end, I was the overall winner in 2.26:25 and second place was 2.27:55… he was definitely gaining on me while I enjoyed the scenery.

I also got to enjoy the podium with a former club mate who came in third, followed by a large lunch of paella and sangria also enjoyed by my brother, Ray Gibbs (who wasn’t stung nearly as much this year) and other successful swimmers. A highly recommended day out in the Mediterranean sun.

I should also mention the amazing Kayak / RIB support - they were everywhere and managed the whole event beautifully. Everyone felt very safe despite the “bastardos” lurking beneath. A big shout out also to the paramedics braced at the end with jellyfish cream, who patiently covered everyone as best they could to mitigate the pain… Chapeau to the organisers: “Ibiza Blue Challenge”, it was a wonderful race and my demons of Es Vedra have been slain. I’ll be back next year.

Water temp: 26 degrees

Air temp: 28 degrees

Otters at World and European Aquathlon Champs

Otters have been branching out into multi-sports since long before Rachel Joyce started smashing the world of Ironman triathlon. Whilst many have representative honours at triathlon, more Otters are turning their hand to growingly recognised Aquathlon scene (being better suited to the more balanced split of the splash and dash format).

This year, current Otters, Pip Bennett & Ed Buckley travelled to Samorin, Slovakia for the Worlds and were joined by ex-Otter, Sean Kinsey, in Bilbao, Spain for the Europeans – with Pip looking to build on his debut bronze in 2021.

The two venues provided contrasting experiences and races.

The Slovakian Olympic training centre in Samorin was also hosting the Collins Cup, so we were able to train in stunning facilities, alongside the world’s best triathletes. The 30-plus degree heat meant for a non-wetsuit swim in the Danube, with a mass start.

Pip, as his custom, led his age group out of the water (10th overall out of 300 swimmers) and tried to hold off the field on the run. Eventually he was hauled back by two familiar foes, with just 20 seconds separating the podium places. Ed, on the other hand, had to try and regain time on the run, positively relishing the hot conditions to record 17:38, earning a silver in the M45-49 category. Both finished together on the blue carpet, in 18th & 19th place overall respectively, with Ed wanting another 300m to overhaul the difference.

Whilst Samorin was compact, Bilbao was spread out; with a one way wetsuit swim in the estuary, a nefariously dangerous swim exit, followed by a run along the promenades. This time the different age groups went off separately, the older competitors being further from high tide; whilst gaining from a stronger current, suffered greater wind against tide chop for 800m.

Sean competing in the M55-59, benefitting from all his open water experience, was incredibly the fastest swimmer overall of the 350 competitors, Pip not far behind in 5th.

Once again, Pip had a 35 second lead to protect, but was overhauled by a Pole in the closing stages to miss out on the gold by just 7 seconds. Sean had almost a minute’s lead, but that was soon whittled away by a very fine Spaniard. Ed wasn’t able to replicate his Slovakian run heroics and was disappointed to only finish 6th (though that did represent 2nd of 18 Brits in his age group).

3 silvers and a bronze from the 2 championships represents a fine haul for the Otters.

Otters past and present win at GB Masters Open Water Nationals

Pip Bennett and Sean Kinsey (who was an Otter while at school in London) won their respective categories at the GB Masters Open Water Champs in Lake Bala, North Wales on 10 September 2022. The location and timing of the event perhaps resulted in the lower numbers but in their respective categories (M40-44) and (M55-59) there were enough competitors to make it interesting. Sean also won overall setting himself up for European Aquathlon Champs where he will join Pip and Ed Buckley in Bilbao for some multisport action.

British Aquathlon Championships 2022

A number of Otters like to take part in multi-sport races and the recent British Aquathlon (750m swim/5km run) Championships at Eton Doney (Saturday 16 July) saw three Otters aiming to claim silverware on the national stage.

Competing in the same age group were Pip Bennett and Matt Burgham (40-44) and they were joined by Ed Buckley (45-49). All three set off in the first race of the day, enjoying a non-wetsuit race in the 25 degree Dorney rowing lake.

First out of the water was Pip, taking a commanding lead after repping 1:24/100m for the 750m swim. Matt was second out some 43 seconds behind, with Ed a further 28. After quickly popping on their trainers and race numbers, Ed caught Matt quickly, but couldn’t quite catch Pip in the early morning heat.

Pip was himself in a battle at the front of the race and ultimately claimed the silver medal in his age group and 10th overall. Ed also claimed silver in his age group and 14th overall. Matt gained 5th and 34th overall, but was 3rd Otter home.

The world championships are held in Slovakia in just a months time and there’s a good chance of more silverware to come!

SLSC Summer Aquathlon Series

With a format slightly longer than “official” Aquathlon races, the South London Swimming Club Summer Aquathlon Series allows you to enjoy mid-week summer racing in your backyard (if you live in south London, that is). The pool has an unusual length - 90m, but the 4 races allow you to calibrate your swim & run efforts, as well as to experiment with different paces.

The event is a 1km swim (11 lengths of the pool) followed by a 7.5km run around Tooting Bec Common and the series consists of four events on Wednesday evenings between the end of May and early July.

Otters Pip Bennett and Fedor Gorokhovik won their respective age groups - in each of their 3 races and overall, and they were awarded a mug(!). They both improved by more than a minute since last year’s race, with best times of 42’36 (Pip) and 42’07 (Fedor) respectively.