With Confidence
Fear of the open water is one of the key barriers to people taking up the sport of triathlon, despite hours of training in a pool nothing beats the nervous energy and butterflies that accompany the putting on of a wetsuit, hat and goggles and stepping into the unknown waters where you can no longer see the bottom of a pool, grab the side or push off from the wall.
Máirtín Coffey and Paddy Mc Namara are set to help athletes reduce this fear, increase confidence and improve swimming ability in the open water be that in the sea, rivers or lakes with the recent launch of Open Water Swim Camp based in Galway. The coached, guided and enjoyable swims will improve open water technique and confidence in the water. Camps are limited to 14 participants to ensure participants get the attention they deserve.
Speaking about the camps Máirtín said ’In all our years competing, we saw nervous individuals in the water only to see them cycling and running confidently. At the end of every race we would chat to participants and hear their frustration and disappointment that the water slows them down or worse… friends and colleagues not even contemplating a triathlon or multi-sport race due to their fear of the open water. It makes sense to have specific training in Irish waters as this is where the majority of Irish athletes will compete during the race season. Galway is the ideal place to host the camps, with access to different types of safe open water. Our camps will help athletes to swim safely, train efficiently and compete with confidence.
The camps will cater for beginners looking to incease confidence and overcome fear of the open water to those advanced swimmers who are looking to shave time off their performance and increase their efficiency in the water. With varying camps to accommodate swim levels; the camps will include land and water based activities as well as guest speakers covering additional elements of swim and nutritional guidance that will benefit the athlete as a whole.
The camps run from mid May to early August and can be booked on www.openwaterswimcamp.ie. With only 14 places per camp, places are expected to be booked well in advance. Those interesed in availing of a weekend of open water swimming tuition are encouraged to get in touch sooner rather than later.