From The Deep End To Ironman

In May, Kyle couldn’t swim.

Not really.

He was exhausted after a few metres, nervous about the deep end of a 25m pool and had very little confidence in the water.

Fast forward a few months and things look rather different.

Through plenty of 1-1 work in both the pool and open water, alongside our Development Squad, Kyle has gradually built the skills and confidence to become a swimmer.

He’s now comfortable swimming distance, and perhaps more importantly, he has a stroke with length and rhythm that stays consistent, even when fatigue starts to creep in.

That’s a huge change.

And with Ironman Barcelona just two weeks away, we’ve got a couple more 1-1 sessions to fine-tune things and make sure Kyle heads to the start line feeling comfortable and confident in the water.

From being nervous about the deep end of a 25m pool in May… to preparing to swim 3.8km in the Mediterranean.

That’s quite a journey.

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There’s something I really like about Kyle’s story.

It would be easy to look at where he is now and forget where he started.

In May, the deep end of a 25m pool was something that made him nervous – now he’s preparing to swim 3.8km at Ironman Barcelona.

But the important bit is what happened in between.

There was no magic.

Just a willingness and commitment to get comfortable in the water, learn how to move through it, build confidence and gradually spend more time swimming.

A few 1-1 sessions. Some open-water experience. Regular time in the Development Squad. And, crucially, the willingness to keep showing up.

Progress – not dramatic, not obvious from one week to the next, but a gradual improvement so that eventually you find yourself doing something that, a few months earlier, you might not have believed was possible.

I think that’s a useful reminder for all of us.

You don’t have to be where you want to be yet. You just need to start where you are, and give yourself the time and the right environment to move forward.