Panel Event - Babbling About Swimming - hosted by Sheffield Outdoor Plungers (SOUP)

Join SOUP for a panel discussion about outdoor swimming. We’ll be talking all things cold water, the joys, the motivations and why we need better water access.

Owen Hayman: Owen founded SOUP – Sheffield OUtdoor Plungers in 2016, and is a water access campaigner with the Outdoor Swimming Society. His main interest is gaining and widening access to reservoirs, for free informal swimming and recreation.

Sara Barnes: Sara is the author of The Cold Fix, a new book exploring Sara and others' experiences of finding joy in cold water. In it she relates the story of her own journey into ever colder water in search of pain relief from osteo-arthritis and how she discovered the key to a world she didn’t know existed: the cold water swimming community. She loves to see the expression on peoples’ faces as the cold water begins its magic: disbelief to joy.

Suzie Wheway: Suzie is an open water swim coach and guide based in the Peak District. She believes in the power of access to nature, in particular water, to support our sometimes busy and overwhelming modern lives. Suzie has worked extensively to improve understanding of wild swimming amongst individuals and local and national organisations with the aim to increase participation and improve water access for all.

Issy Howie: Issy has been swimming outside since she was a child and dips year-round both near and far from her home in Sheffield. Working in public health she is passionate about the benefits of swimming outdoors, blue spaces and helping people enjoy open water safely. For the past few years she’s been working with other local swimmers to generate a positive dialogue to increase outdoor swimming opportunities, especially in local reservoirs.