Toes In The Water, A New Book
Toes in the Water is a new book that tells 14 inspirational stories about how wild swimming has changed lives. Wild swimming has increased in popularity in recent years. Research and anecdotes about its benefits have also grown.
The idea for this paperback was actually conceived by the editor Rachel Jones who attributes swimming as a way to help her overcome anxiety. She learned from other swimmers that many also use swimming as a way to manage their mental wellbeing.
Rachel began collecting stories from a variety of people for her book. These included seasoned wild swimmer Anna Deacon and open water swimming coach Colin Hill, as well as the editor of Outdoor Swimmer Ella Foote.
The stories also address a variety of issues ranging from plastic waste in waterways to harmful algae in lakes. All royalties from Toes In The Water are donated to Canal and River Trust for their environmental campaigns and work.
What I think: Toes in The Water
This slim paperback is packed with fascinating stories about wild swimming. The book is the kind that you can pick up, flip open and discover another story. All the stories are different, but they’re all interesting and thought provoking.
Catherine White, for example, describes the incredible freedom of wild swimming. She mentions being able leave behind the tangible items from a modern lifestyle, such as her mobile phone, but also mental stress when she goes open water swimming.
Emma Harper created an alter-ego Mischief the Mermaid who swims along the Cornish coast, raises money for charities that help children with mental health, and visits schools to discuss ocean conservation.
Katie Richards shares a moving story about how wild swimming helped to rediscover her self-worth after experiencing a personal trauma. She also made new friends.
Simon Harmer lost both his legs in Afghanistan and used swimming to help him recover. He found a community of outdoor swimmers who were very supportive.
I won’t say any more, because I want you to read the book for yourself. This book would make a wonderful stocking stuffer for Christmas.
The book is just a paperback without any photos. I like to see the places where people go swimming, but again, maybe the lack of pictures helps the reader focus on the stories.