Hilary Lukatschat joined FOGL this season after discovering the Lido in preparation for her first ventures into competitive outdoor swimming. Hilary took part in the British Gas Great London Swim on 3rd July.
The Great Swim Series attracts swimmers of all abilities and are the most popular mass participation swims held in the UK, with the Great East (Ipswich), Great North (Windermere) and Great Scottish swims completing the series. This summer due to the popularity of the swims, a new event, the Great Salford Swim has been added to the programme. FOGL Committee member Janetta Bensouilah took part in her first competitive swim this summer at the Great East in June.
We’re sure many more FOGLs might like to hear how the Lido helps people in their training for such events, do get in touch if you have a story to share, in the meantime here’s Hilary’s tale:
I had a great day on Saturday 3rd July at the British Gas Great Swim in London Docklands. Wonderful weather and a very well organised and attended event. Why did I have a good day? Because for the first time in my swimming life I dipped my toe into the world of competitive outdoor swimming and managed to complete the mile course in 39.33 in a field of 5,000 competitors.
My sister-in-law and I entered at the beginning of January, thinking that July was ages away, but no, in May we realised it wasn’t too far off! This is where the Lido came to our rescue as both of us had been used to swimming indoors for far too long in a 25m pool. We had to find
somewhere else and in a midnight moment I remembered the Lido that I have passed many times in the past and ignored on the assumption that I would never need it! How wrong was that? A lovely 50m outdoor pool was on our doorstep and that’s where we’ve been twice a week ever since the middle of May getting much needed distance under our belt, along with many others and the all important exposure to the elements.
What more could we ask for from a facility? Since then I’ve been hooked on the lido experience and have warned my husband who’s quite happy to ferry me about, that this outdoor swimming may get out of control as I plan to enter more of these competitions!
For those of you thinking of entering next year, just do it and enter. Prepare well and you’ll have a wonderful time and you never know you just may get mad about the idea as I have! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
