Du Toit, who lost leg in scooter accident, will swim in Beijing Games
Talk about perseverance and determination, Natalie's an inspiration on a variety of levels, not only for overcoming the obstacles in her life, but also by overcoming the prejudices and insensitivities typically shown Paralympic athletes. I absolutely love the fact that she'll be swimming in the able-bodied field.
For those of you that don't already know, some paralympians have been denied the opportunity to compete in the traditional venues (able-bodied) despite being among the best in the world.
Go Natalie!
Read about Natalie Du Toit's latest success
Not sure I'd recommend trying this...
http://view.break.com/496123 - Watch more free videos
I don't usually like to scare the Dynoswim community with videos such as these. Afterall, we all know who lives in the ocean. But does anyone have an opinion on this one? I'm torn. On the one hand, I kind of admire this guy, on the other hand I'm wondering, what was he thinking?
Ocean Swim - Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008
We'll be at Highbridge and A1A. The exact time TBD by the end of Saturday's practice. If you intend to swim you need to speak to Coach O. via cellphone or in person at Friday or Saturday's swim practice at Frieda Zamba.
Swimming Tips: Open Water Swimming
~By John Walker
In my many years in this sport, I have never seen any reasonably complete article in the magazines dealing with open water swimming (they seem to rehash the same basic stuff every few years). A lot of them talk about how to draft, or tell you to look up every few strokes to stay on course, but very few seem to deal with the subject in much detail.
So last summer, I started to gather my thoughts and experiences on the subject. I finally got back to it just now. Rather than deal just with racing in open water, I have tried to deal with both swimming for fun and racing.
FINA Open Water Swimming Manual
Take a look at the FINA Open Water Swimming Manual, a valuable tool for all those interested in organizing and promoting this spectacular discipline across the five continents. On October 27, 2005 in Lausanne, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board decided to include the 10km event for men and women in open water swimming in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games competition program. From now on, all five FINA disciplines – swimming, diving, water polo, synchronised swimming and open water swimming – will be represented at the Olympic Games.
Read the FINA 2006 Open Water Swimming Manual
And while we're on the subject, don't forget to register for Dynoswim's 2008 Binge Swim (open-water) Training Bender.
2008 Binge Swim Training Bender; May 23-June 1, 2008
(Open-water preparation for beginners, intermediate, and advanced swimmers)
Welcome to this year’s Binge Swim Training Bender and we’re happy that you’re considering joining us for ten days of swimming, sun, sand, chlorine, and a few good nights out and about in our little beach community. Please notice that the binge training mostly takes place on the weekend of May 23rd (three days due to Memorial Day) and the following weekend ending on June 1st. There will be two days off (Tuesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 29) and only one practice session on Wednesday and Friday of the same week. We understand that for our local participants and out-of-town visitors that the majority of our training is best completed on the weekends. This will free up time for those of you interested in visiting the local attractions or to attend to commitments away from the pool.
The overall purpose of this swim cycle is fourfold:
- Prepare participants for the 2008 open-water season.
- Encourage our tri-athletes to take part.
- Enable our less experienced swimmers to swim open-water with confidence.
- Support one another to achieve our training goals.
Monte Monfore swims to end child hunger!
World record holder ocean swimmer Monte Monfore set a new record swimming across the Bali straits as part of Walk the World on May 21, 2006.
Atlantic too Polluted to Swim; All Ocean Swims Cancelled Indefinitely
Imagine what would happen if we could no longer do open-water training because the ocean water wasn't safe enough for swimming. Have you ever seen the impact of the Dead Zone and wonder, "How the heck did it get to be so bad?"
Stop. Think about it for a moment. Imagine what it would be like if all of our open-water training seized to exist - if it became a memory, part of the "Good Old days".
Learn more about the Dead Zone.
Does anyone out there in Dynoswim land care?
Did your coach ever make you swim as far as you could under water?
Did anyone ever pass out? Then tell us about it. In the meantime read this article from some time back. It's an old article but an interesting one...
Navy Seal Drowns in Shallow End of Honolulu Municipal Swimming Pool
On March 26, 1998, a Navy Seal who was training for the U.S. Free Diving Team, approached the two Lifeguards on duty at a municipal swimming pool and explained he was training to hold his breath for a prolonged period of time while underwater in order to gain a spot on the U.S. Free Diving Team. The Lifeguards gave the individual permission to practice in the shallow end of the pool. This individual then went to the shallow end, directly in front of the Lifeguard stand, went through a series of breathing and swimming exercises, then hyperventilated and attempted to hold his breath, while still located in the shallow end directly in front of the Lifeguard stand. In order to assist him in staying underwater, he draped a weight belt across his hips.
Girl swims with bound hands, feet
BEIJING, China (AP) -- A father tied his 10-year-old daughter's hands and feet and watched her swim in a chilly southern China river for three hours in a task he said Thursday would help the girl achieve her dream of swimming across the English Channel.
Read on at cnn.com
Record Swim
...for Victims of September 11.
Swimmer Skip Storch describes breaking the speed record for swimming three laps around Manhattan.
Watch the video at cnn.com.
Champion Swimmer To Swim Around Manhattan
Hopes To Raise Money For Cancer Patients
(AP) NEW YORK After more than 22 consecutive hours of swimming around Manhattan, Marcos Diaz finally came ashore on Sunday.
The Dominican world record holder had a goal for his marathon overnight swim: to raise money for poor Dominican children with cancer and start a program for youngsters with asthma.
Diaz, 32, battled asthma as a child by swimming in the Caribbean waters, which turned him into an athlete.
"I started to swim when I was 6 to improve my lungs and my breathing," Diaz said before plunging into the Hudson River on Saturday evening.
Swimmer Takes Plunge at North Pole
TORONTO (July 16) - A British swimmer who says he wants to wake up politicians around the world to the threat of climate change has successfully completed a kilometer-long swim in the waters of the North Pole.
Read more at the Daily Mail
Just Beneath the Surface
~By Akiko Busch
Published: July 8, 2007
In graphic design, the word “river” refers to the white space between words that sometimes connects in a rippling vertical pattern down the printed page. Such a river is to be avoided because it can interrupt the flow of text in an irregular pattern and distract the reader’s eye from the horizontal progression of the printed words. But just as it may be a distraction, that space between words also confirms their meaning. If a river can both separate and connect on the printed page, it is capable of doing this all the more in the natural world.
My preoccupation with swimming across rivers started in 2001. A close friend had died, my own half-century mark was approaching and my 12-year-old twin sons were in an adolescent landscape furnished with clothes, language and activities all incomprehensible to me. There was little I could do about any of these things. But for that reason, it occurred to me to find a divide that could be crossed. And more and more I came to imagine that swimming across a river might be a way to do this. Now, six years and nine rivers later, swimming across rivers has drifted toward another purpose. It seems clear now, in that way that the unexpected can sometimes take hold of intent, thwarting and subverting it, that following the path of the river is as important as crossing it. A river can connect every bit as effectively as it divides.
Does Binge Swimming Work?
Dynoswimmers, Dean Osterloh and Judi Rich begin their morning ocean practice.
~By Judi Rich, Dynoswimmer
Last year I remember Dean talking about doing a “binge swim”. He had asked if it would be something I’d be interested in. I had never heard of a binge swim before and was very interested in learning more. He explained that it would be hard swimming 2-3x a day for a week straight. He said that while you were doing it, you’d probably ask yourself, “What have I gotten myself into? Why am I doing this? I must be totally crazy!” I remember thinking, "Am I ready for this?" (I had just recently returned to competitive swimming after 17 years away from the sport.
Dean further explained that binge swimming would make you totally exhausted and it would break you down. The theory is that over time, binge training, coupled with a consistent training regimen could help you to become a much stronger, faster swimmer. I thought to myself, I must be nuts but yes; I was open to try anything that would make me faster.
The Fetch: A Swimmers Guide to Open Water and Pounding Surf
~By Scott Bay
…And the sea will grant each man new hope…
I spend probably more time at the beach than most of my fellow team mates and I love the open water swims the best. Swimming in the surf especially when it is big is a skill all by itself.
Binge Swimming provided the Dynoswim Team with an advanced tutorial in this particular aspect of open water swimming. The Fetch is calculated by multiplying wind velocity by time by distance. It determines how big it will get out in the impact zone (where the waves break). Since we have multiple sand bars in this part of the world you can get two maybe three impact zones and in between is what is referred to as inside (where the wave breaks then closes out and then reforms and breaks again).
Binge Swim Training Bender: Part 1
Two Dynoswimmers, Sean Bean and Emily Nohner battle the elements.
~By Emily Nohner
How to Describe the Ocean Swims?
Saturday was my first time swimming in the ocean. I mean, I have cooled off in the ocean waves after tanning on the beach, but I have never thought to myself, "Man, I really want to go swim in those 10 foot waves." But, with the help of the team I realized that this sort of challenge was exactly what I needed in order to complete the 9-mile swim in Minnesota. Sure, the lake won't have salt-water or gigantic waves, but it will try everything I've got - the lake won't pity our swim team. I broke the experience down into what I took away as the five main lessons I learned as a beginner to open-water swimming.
Lesson 1: The ocean has an intensity that is ferocious, relentless, and deceiving. Strangely, this weekend was choppier than the typical conditions for Flagler Beach (Atlantic Ocean, right north of Daytona Beach). There were red flags up and down the way as the lifeguards are required to do, cautioning rough conditions and prohibiting beach swims. But that's not where we swim, Dynoswimmers have this great spot south from Flagler Beach, past all the ocean development. One side of the road is preservation brush, and the other is nothing but ocean.
We arrived for the first swim Saturday morning and I could tell that everyone was being cautious about these waves. Me, being a first timer, had nothing to compare the waves to - so I figured if they feel comfortable going in, then I will follow. The first 10 minutes were spent getting sunscreen on, drinking last gulps of Gatorade, and saying hellos. The friendships on the team are easy to pick up on; everyone hugged as if they hadn't seen each other in ages (when they swim together 4-5 times a week and often compete in triathlons and swim meets in their spare time)! But Judi told me, that when Coach Dean says, "Let's go!" then it is game time, and there is no talking, swim caps on, goggles tightened, onward to the sea!
It's Only a Matter of Time
Thinking about open- water swimming, marathon swimming and some of the incredible accomplishments of recent years, I wonder what the future in ultimate open-water swimming will be. Still today, swimming the English Channel is an incredible feat, but every year more and more swimmers do it. Some even complete double crossings and attempted triples. I recently forgot that back in 1998 Benoit Lecomte swam across the Atlantic. So the question stands, what's the ultimate open-water swim?
The Tenth Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim
Dynoswim competed for the first time in the 10th Annual Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. Congratulations to Dave, Dakin, Scott, Sheryl, Amy, and Diane (who would have been there had it not been for, well you know...)
The results can be found here:
On a much more somber and important note, Dynoswim would like to extend condolences to the family of Dave Parcells. The news of the death of Dave Parcell's during the Tampa Bay Swim has been an incredible shock and loss to the swimming community. The following was a touching letter sent out to Conn Masters by Paul Epstein:
Distance Dave (Cameron's) Swim Blog
Distance Dave is preparing for a double crossing of the English Channel. Check out the purpose for the swim and the steps he's taking to get there! Good luck, Dave!
Slovenian Man Ends 65-day Swim Down Amazon River
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- After 3,272 miles of exhaustion, sunburn, delirium and piranhas, a 52-year-old Slovenian successfully completed a swim down the Amazon River Saturday that could set a world record for distance -- something he's already done three times before.
The Amazon Swim
On Feb 1st 2007 Martin Strel started swimming all the way from Atalaya (Peru) to the Atlantic Ocean at Belém (Brazil). He is planning to complete the 3,375 mile (5,430 km) ultimate challenge in 70 days.
Check Martin Strel's progress at:
The Amazon Swim - 3,375 miles in 70 days (Feb 1 - Apr 11, 2007)
Martin Strel, a legendary Guinness record marathon swimmer, has always been looking for the challenges of impossible and the Amazon is going to be the next one. On Feb 1st 2007 Martin Strel is going to start swimming all the way from Atalaya (Peru) to the Atlantic Ocean at Belém (Brazil). He is planning to reach 3,375 mile (5,430 kms) long ultimate challenge in 70 days.
Buckets of Blood Readied for Amazon Swim
~By Andrei Khalip
LIMA (Reuters) - Few would even dare swim the Amazon river bank to bank but Slovenian Martin Strel plans to swim 3,375 miles down the world's greatest river, defying piranhas, snakes, crocodiles and even sharks.
Winter Swimming in the Outdoors – Are You Joking?!
(Note: Palm Coast Dynoswimmers: no excuses this weekend...)
One of the most exotic activities you can experience in Finland is definitely winter swimming in the outdoors! Avantouinti - as the Finns call it - literally "ice hole swimming" means swimming for a few minutes at a time or taking a quick dip in a large opening cut through the ice of a frozen lake or a sea.
Read on and think, "If the Finns can do it, I can too."
The 40-Year-Old Virgin Swimmer
(This is for all of our mid-life crisis Dynoswimmers...)
~By W. Hodding Carter
In a (completely misguided) bid to make the 2008 Olympic team, ex-NCAA swimmer W. HODDING CARTER is training like he did in college. And that means spring break. Only this time our party frogman is cruising the British Virgin Islands under his own power.
Train like your life is half over
Swim Across the Sound Recap
I'd just like to thank everyone who donated to the St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound. Our team fundraised over $7000.00, and the entire event fundraised $250,000. After 2 years of finishing in 2nd place, we finally claimed the top spot and finished in 1st place out of the 31 relay teams. We had great conditions, which allowed us to complete our swim in 6:07:43. Make sure you check out some pictures from the event. Thanks again to everyone who donated to this great cause!
Long Distance Swimmer Makes Trunk Call to Blair
LONDON (AFP) - A lawyer trying to become the first person to swim the full length of Britain's famous River Thames waded ashore in London to call on Prime Minister Tony Blair to tackle climate change.
Shark Tales
One morning Gary, Elizabeth, and I decided to go for a dive. We're off the FL Keys and shark tales are just that... tales. We headed about three miles offshore and reached our destination. Gary and I jumped in the water, spears in hand, as Elizabeth grabbed a spinner and began fishing from the boat. A huge snapper here, and an enormous grouper there, we were quickly 200 meters away from our boat. Elizabeth held the reigns on our vessel as Gary and I scoured the sea for dinner.
43 Miles of Ocean Hell
by Sam Stevens
Many have probably been guilty more than once in their lives of an outrageously implausible boast over a Friday night pint which they either lived to regret or couldn’t remember the following morning. And when former Bermuda College lecturer Sean O’Connell announced to a sceptical friend in the Robin Hood over 30 years ago that he wanted to become the first person ever to swim non-stop around Bermuda, there seemed no reason to suspect that this would be any different.
Read more about ocean swimming in Bermuda
Dynoswim Makes the Newspapers (Again)!
Check out this article in the "News-Leader" by Beth Jones
Take a Moment to Reflect on Your Achievments Thus far
~Provided by Pedro Ordenes, Water World Swim
"Today I looked in the Random House College Dictionary for the definition of athlete. The athlete is described as having physical agility, stamina, strength and skill. If you are competing in an upcoming event you have trained hard to become agile and strong and like the artisan you have developed the knowledge and skill of your craft as an athlete. This didn’t just happen to you, you trained hard through physical exertion, personal sacrifice and discipline. Remember when you were a child and you were told it was impossible to swim 'in the frigid shark infested water' near Alcatraz because of the 'rip-tides?' Hundreds of swimmers have now made this crossing and have earned their finisher medals, but millions of people will never have this experience because they never believed it was possible for them to achieve. Not everyone can ride a bike full speed for 28 miles or run for 6 miles; or swim from Alcatraz. You are an athlete who believed in your potential to achieve your personal best. Take a moment to reflect on your achievement this far. This could be the best time of your life—recognize it. The competitions have arrived, its summertime and it’s your time to shine."
Jellyfish in Florida
The cannonball jellyfish [Stomolophus meleagris], also known as the cabbage head jellyfish, is a harmless (it’s edible) variety that sometimes washes up on beaches in large numbers.
It's also that thing that kept bumping us last Sunday, one heck of a strong, solid, jellyfish. Check out the details...
Read About Our Florida Jellyfish
Keys to Open-Water Sighting
by Barbara Hummel / Goswim.tv
Here’s an email I recently received from a Masters swimmer…and my reply. Although this swimmer is relatively new to triathlon, his questions are ones that I hear again and again from triathletes at every level.
Swim Across the Sound - Connecticut Dynoswimmer, Joshua Usdavin
On August 5th, 2006 I will be competing in the 19th Annual Swim Across
the Sound 25km marathon swim for the 3rd year in a row as part of the
"Westport Swim Club Lane 3 Relay". A field of over 150 solo and relay
swimmers participated in 2005 and raised a record $250,000 for cancer
prevention, education and support programs sponsored by the Swim. Last
year our relay team fundraised over $6000 and finished in 2nd place out
of 25 relay teams.
Contributions received from Swim Across The Sound will be donated to the cause of secondary cancer prevention, with the endeavor of utilizing screening tests or examinations to detect early disease before it is clinically evident. Detection of the disease process in an early stage is essential for the purpose of initiating early intervention and improving long-term prognosis. Please consider donating to this crucial cause!
If you would like to contribute to this great cause please follow the following link to donate: http://www.active.com/donate/sas2006/joshusdavin
Many Thanks,
Joshua Usdavin
Swimming the English Channel
Why is swimming the English Channel so difficult? Read this article to find out.
Kindred Spirits, Open Water Swimming
Here's a website devoted "to inspire and promote our passion and enthusiasm for the art and sport of open water swimming; and to be a community resource for anyone with the dream of swimming the open waters of the world."
Check it out:
Open Water Swimming Added to 2008 Olympic Program
This is great news! Check it out:
Swim Across the Sound, cont.
First I would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who donated to Swim Across the Sound. Our team "Westport Swim Club Lane 3" fundraised over $8,000 to benefit the St. Vincent's Medical Center cancer charity. As for the swim across Long Island Sound "it was the closest finish in the history of the race" as spoken by race director Dave Parcell's. Our team and the Westport Water WRATS team swapped holding the lead several times during the 15 mile trek across the sound. We ended up finishing just over a minute behind the 3 time defending champions in 5 hours, and 49 minutes. The conditions for the swim were just about perfect with little chop, no jellyfish, and lots of sun! Your donations and support will go a long way in helping with the battle against cancer. Again thanks for your support and generosity.
~Joshua Usdavin
Swim Across the Sound
Dynoswim contributed $110.00 to the Swim Across the Sound for cancer research; thanks to all who donated. Check out some pictures from last Saturday's event:
2005 Swim Across America LI Photos
Ever Suffer from Vacation Fitness Withdrawal?
Afraid of falling out of shape from a long overdue vacation? How about fitness anxiety before taking time off? Does forgoing your workout routine stress you out? Well, why not merge the two: Take a vacation that can actually improve your swimming fitness levels! (I like the Bavarian lake swim adventure holiday.) Read About Swimtrek
Related topic, Swim Across America
Having the honor to workout with one of the founders of Swim Across America, Jeff Keith (co-founder), who along with other members of the Westport Swim Club, have become involved with Swim Across the Sound. Take a look at some of the great things their organization does by clicking on the above link...
It's More Than Just Swimming...
Josh Usdavin, who some of you may have heard Dean mention, has been an integral part of the creation of the Dynoswim workout database and website. Josh has donated countless time and effort to help do what some of us do best, that is promote the sport of swimming. Josh is also doing his part to fight cancer in this year's "swim across the sound." Click on the link to learn more about the organization and what they do to support cancer research. We are asking you to help by making a contribution! Please use the link below to donate what you like - even $1.00 - online quickly & securely. You will receive email confirmation of your donation and Josh will be notified. We thank you in advance for your support, and really appreciate your generosity!