Pierre Mangez
In life, we tend to dive in with everything we have, without stepping back often enough to gain perspective.
But when we do, things become so clear.
How fortunate are we to be able experience nature and indulge in swimrun? But this brings with it responsibility: the responsibility to communicate what we see and to try to initiate change by inspiring others to take a step out of their comfort zones and to experience new things.
Take cold water. A couple of years ago, we’d never have imagined swimming in the outer Stockholm Archipelago at the end of November, let alone in mid-April. Now we do. Why? Because by pushing boundaries we remove our mental barriers and new dimensions open up. The clarity of the water and, more importantly, the clarity of the mind is amazing when swimming in single-digit water temperatures.
On the other hand, what is horrifying is that after 13 years of exploring waterways around the world, we’ve never seen so much plastic garbage everywhere. We all need to act, whether it’s changing your consumption of single-use plastics or stopping to pick up plastic litter.
More than ever, we are committed to providing the best swimrun experience possible while encouraging each of you to become global citizens because every step in the right direction counts.
Hopefully we can inspire you to take a step outside of your comfort zone but also to be part of creating this change. The survival of humanity starts not just with you or us, but with all of our swimrun community acting together.
Thank you for being our source of inspiration.
With respect,
Michael & Mats
Race Directors ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series
Article first published in Swimrun Life Magazine Issue #7 (May 2018)
