WILD Swimrun: Empowering Women in Sport

As partners running WILD Swimrun, how do you, Helene, work together with Mia and Fanny to shape the direction of the community?

Many within the WILD community and the broader swimrun community are our friends, which certainly makes it easier for us to understand their desires, needs, and experiences. Our varying levels of ambition regarding race results allow us to represent a diverse range of perspectives within the community. Our primary goal is to encourage more women to take the leap into swimrun, while also encouraging parents to participate in swimrun with their children. We view WILD Swimrun as a potential entry point, and while we hope participants will continue their journey in swimrun, we have no expectations that their future path must remain within WILD. Since WILD Swimrun is something we pursue alongside our full-time jobs, families, and other responsibilities, our roles within WILD may shift depending on our respective life situations.

What made you want to join the WILD Swimrun team, and how has your role changed since joining?

My journey with WILD Swimrun began when I met Mia, who empowered me to transition from volunteering to participating in swimrun myself. I have been participating in events since WILD was established, and I had never felt so welcomed and accepted just as I am. Fanny and Mia are both so unpretentious and inclusive. When the opportunity arose for me to step in as a partner, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Today, I play a role as an organizer and a driving force within the community. My love for WILD and what it represents has never changed. The unique sense of community and joy that WILD Swimrun fosters continues to inspire me, and I remain dedicated to our vision of increasing female participation in swimrun.

WILD Swimrun is known for being supportive and inclusive. How do you ensure these values remain at the heart of the community as it grows?

To ensure that our values of support and inclusion remain central to WILD Swimrun, we actively work to create an open and welcoming atmosphere. These values always come first for us at WILD. We foster an environment where everyone hopefully feels included. We share our own experiences and challenges. At every level of ambition, there are various mental barriers that can be limiting. We often find that you feel braver and ready to take on new challenges and push our limits when you feel you are in a safe community. Additionally, the WILD community has so many fantastic women who remain and return to events, and some as coaches, and all of these women play a vital role in the success of the community in upholding our values. These women support each other and truly demonstrate that it is a superpower to be kind. With kindness and togetherness, we all level up.

More and more women are participating in endurance sports today, how do you think WILD swimrun contributes to this positive trend?

Indeed, we are pleased to see more women getting into endurance sports. With WILD Swimrun, we aim to support this trend and make it easier for women who want to start running and swimming while finding a community. It’s not just about exercise; it’s also a way to meet new, amazing friends and be part of a supportive group that helps you become the best version of yourself! Once women realize this, we believe they are more likely to stay with the sport and make Swimrun a part of their lives.

What do you think is the biggest challenge in getting more women to try Swimrun, and how are you working to overcome it?

Creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is important. For some women, taking time to explore new activities and prioritize time away from family and other responsibilities needs to feel exciting and fun. WILD Swimrun offers a warm, inclusive community and different events. To make it easy for beginners, we always have gear available for loan. We encourage our participants not to purchase equipment before our events; instead, we invite them to come and try it out first to find what suits them as individuals. With many years of experience, we know what works for different people. During a WILD camp, we have gear discussions and try-outs. We make it easy to step into the sport of swimrun – and we want to have fun doing it!

You’re involved with both WILD Swimrun and ÖTILLÖ events. How do you think these two organizations work together to get more people into Swimrun?

WILD Swimrun and ÖTILLÖ share a common vision of making Swimrun more accessible to everyone. For Swimrun to grow, the sport needs to be inclusive, and by sharing our thoughts and experiences, we can work together to reach a broader audience and inspire more people to try the sport. Engaging in conversations about what creates an accessible and inclusive atmosphere will support our shared goal of increasing the number of women in the sport. At ÖTILLÖ races, we can collaborate to make participants feel welcome, inspired, and positive about racing. WILD swimrun also encourages people who can’t race, to cheer at races. We know that this helps the overall feeling for both racers and race events. Additionally, this article helps to spread the word about us, and we know there are many established swimrunners who want to participate in Swimrun with their wives and children. WILD can provide a low-threshold opportunity for just that. Together, we can foster opportunities and encourage more individuals to experience the joy of Swimrun.

Can you share a moment from the WILD Swimrun community that stands out or had a big impact on you?

It is difficult to choose a specific moment, as there are so many. But I can say that it is when someone tries Swimrun for the first time. When they emerge from the open water and something shifts in their demeanor, they light up as they say, “Now I understand what you mean” or “This is just absolutely amazing.” Seeing the spark in their eyes and the feeling of them being stronger, perhaps having overcome a fear—these are priceless moments. It is then that I know the Swimrun community has just grown. Many times, these occasions arise from the power of community and support, and the strength and joy that come from overcoming fears together.

How can women get involved in WILD Swimrun? Is there a sign-up page?

For anyone interested in seeing what we are up to, follow “WILD Swimrun” on Facebook and Instagram. We share information about our upcoming events on social media, but more detailed information is collected and shared on our website. On our website, anyone—not just women—who wants to support us and receive news can sign up. For women who want to become a part of the WILD Swimrun Community, we also recommend joining our private, all-female Facebook group, “WILD Swimrun Community,” complemented by a linked WhatsApp community chat. WILD swimrun is a community and not a members-fee club. We look forward to welcoming new faces to our community!

Will we see the WILD Swimrun crew at any ÖTILLÖ Swimrun races this year?

Absolutely! We know that many WILDies are planning to participate in several ÖTILLÖ Swimrun races throughout the year. We are a community that aims to inspire more people to the sport of swimrun, but we do not impose any requirements that one must compete in our name to be part of our community. However, we are very proud and happy that many choose to do so. This year, we have already planned special community gatherings in connection with the ÖTILLÖ races on Utö and Åland. More gatherings may be added, as this year’s planning has just begun. For WILD Swimrun, the year is underway; we had a course in swimming with paddles and pull buoy in February, and we are really looking forward to May and our upcoming Swimrun camp in Mallorca, Spain. The racing season will soon kick off as well, and we are so excited to create new memorable experiences with fantastic, inspiring WILD teams in Experience, Sprint, World series, and World Champs!

get in touch

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wildswimrun.com
Instagram: @WILD Swimrun / @helene.ostet
Facebook: WILD Swimrun