Whilst dipping with regular visitor Kathy, she commented that I had not written anything on my blog, about the Lundy Bluetits and in general swimming on lundy. Kathy, is of course right. I think the problem has always been that cold water swimming is such a big part of my life, that i could not really decide what stories to tell.
Saltwater stories
However whilst at The Ugly, reading ‘Salt on your Tongue’ a few weeks ago, I had a eureka moment. The book is about women and the Sea. It made me think of all the inspirational women (and men) I have met, through the cold water swimming group Lundy Bluetits.
So this blog post is about three women whose stories came to mind. Although I offer these three, there are many, many other inspirational stories and people that I find, whilst chatting in cold water!
Firstly lets talk about Renée Goulet
The Mermaid
I met Renée whilst she was exploring the Island with friends, as part of a programme for ‘Wierd Britain’. She said she liked cold water dipping, so we met at the Jetty for a swim.
i found out whilst swimming with her, that she was a free diver!! For those who dont know, Freedivers rely entirely on physical fitness, breath-holding techniques and mental discipline to plunge to low depths with one breath of air. The amazing fact about Renée is that she is a real life mermaid!! Her water stage name is Vermy the Mermy, you can find her on Instagram, and at Manchester Sea Life Centre.
You can also see Renée on TV as she features in the BBC programme Lost and found in the Lakes.
My own claim to fame here, is that I once had a go at being a mermaid…as you can see I did not move very far! They fished me out of the water in the end!
So have you ever thought about Swimming to Lundy?
The Lundy Swimmer
Well Sadie Davies did and become the first woman to complete the 15-mile swim from Hartland to Lundy island. Taking her just under nine hours, she is the fourth person to do so, but the only woman. Sadie and i have enjoyed several dips over the years that I have been here, our first was in April 2022. Only a month ago we were swimming and chatting about life and book writing. Sadie has some great stories to share.
Sadie alongside her late husband Quentin were the duo behind the Atlantic spirit gin brand. I am sure you might have tasted it in the Tavern or bought it from the Lundy shop. It is now limited availability, so buy it when you see it!
The Ice Breaker
Then there was Sue, I remember taking her in for her first cold water swim in Christies Quay. I had to hoist her out, as she was too buoyant in her wet suit. When she returned from Lundy, Sue started swimming at her local resevoirs with an average temp of 4°C. She has continued to swim since coming to Lundy. Last year the resevoir where she swims froze over really hard and that day it took over 1 hour with pickaxes to clear an area for swimming. Sue sent me this quote “It’s fantastic! The ice makes noises as the water moves under it. I use a shortie wetsuit in winter and your legs come out bright orange – lobster suntan! The grin lasts all day.”
These and all the other stories will continue to inspire me, whilst I swim both on Lundy, mainland Uk and Portugal. If you are interested in dipping on Lundy, then please find the Lundy Bluetits on Facebook.
Reference:
Runcie, C., (2020). Salt on your tongue. Prestonpans, Scotland: Canongate Books.