A journey of personal and professional growth through a relay swim challenge
I still can't believe it! After 11 months of preparation, my team and I completed the False Bay relay swim, a 33 km crossing from Simonstown to Rooi-Els on January 13th, 2023. The journey was a rich learning experience, and I want to share my reflections with you. I was joined by my amazing teammates Ceri Coxon, Michelle Petring, and Andro Theart, and together, we made this adventure a reality.
I hope some of these reflections will be helpful for you, whether you're looking to grow personally, professionally, or in business.
Choosing the right team members
When it comes to a relay swim like False Bay, the team members you choose can make or break the experience.
Make sure everyone has the same objective. For us, it was to finish the swim within daylight hours, between 12 and 14 hours, because of the sea life (yes, great white sharks) and potential rough sea conditions.
Choose people you trust to be well-prepared for the swim and give their best effort.
Select team members you like because you'll be spending a lot of time together before and during the swim.
Look for people who complement each other and can support each other when needed, both physically and mentally.
Make sure everyone is proactive about communicating any information that could impact the team's performance.
Physical and mental preparation
Before embarking on this swim, I knew I needed to be fully prepared, both physically and mentally.
Here's what I did to get ready
I made sure I understood the time and mental effort required for preparation and was comfortable making the trade-off with other life priorities.
I got my family's support, which was crucial.
I knew I needed to focus on building stamina, so I hired a swim coach to help with pool training sessions and stroke optimization.
I made sure to train in the conditions I'd be swimming in, including various sea conditions.
I took care of logistics, like packing dry clothing, nutrition, hydration, and any necessary medication.
I set milestones in my preparation to build confidence and trust in my body and mind.
While waiting for the right swim day, I remained patient and focused on what I could still prepare for, like packing and mental preparation.
I was ready for last-minute changes and made sure to keep my sense of humour.
Test swim and support during the swim
Before the big day, we did a test swim to make sure our relay format worked and to figure out what nutrition worked best for us. This test swim was crucial in honing our preparation and boosting our confidence. On the day of the swim, we had fantastic support from Derrick Frazier and his team at Big Bay Events. Their experience with the swim route and sea conditions, along with their focus on balancing swimmer safety with a stretch goal, made them the perfect choice for our technical support team. The encouragement and support from our swim team, along with a bit of fun, kept our morale high during the challenging parts of the swim. Personally, having my husband see me off at the start and knowing he would be there at the finish was a huge source of support for me.
Reflection and celebration
After the swim, we took the time to celebrate our success and reflect on the experience, both individually and as a team. This was important for anchoring the personal learning and growth that came from this incredible adventure.
Resources
Here’s a handy printable summary of the lessons I have learned that apply to swimming and business.
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