Towards the end of our window of time, we had heard no word from the pilots. To the human eye the weather was not easing off and our relay team was still third on the waiting list to be called. As our window of hope turned for the worst, Dave knew it in his heart that it most likely wasn’t going to happen. So we decided to accept it in our minds that it wasn’t time and that we will have to wait for a better year. Dave decided to take us on a hike to Shakespeare beach to have one last final open water swim around the official start of the channel. Walking along the coast seeing the beach from afar, we all seemed quiet and a bit melancholy still trying to accept it in our minds that it wasn’t going to happen . Once we made it to the pebbled beach, intense rain, thunder and lightning struck the entire area. It didn’t seem to cross our minds for this particular moment could of been a sign we would later understand but either way we still headed back to town to have one last dinner together as a team.

As we arrived at Blakes of Dover with our drinks in hand, we gave a final toast to a amazing week of training. To our surprise, our toast was interrupted by Dave as he answered a phone call that forever changed our trip. The pilot told him that one of the teams decided to wait for better conditions and that we have a shot at making it across the channel at 9:30am sharp the next morning. Once we all heard the news , we had no idea how to take it because most of us were partially excited and somewhat guarded trying to prevent ourselves from further heartache. Besides our feelings, we had a team meeting and got our bags packed ready to go for whatever outcome came our way. As I was packing one of the quotes that stuck in my head at the time was from Mohammad Ali, ” If you stay ready then you never have to “get” ready “. Which seemed to be our motto for our entire trip from arriving, to training, to getting prepped for the possibility of going.

It was 7am the next morning and we were more than ready to go. We walked to Dover Marina to meet with our fellow relay teams and to board our boat for the day , the Sea Farer, docked and ready to go to be our faithful companion along the way. As we settled into our boat and met our pilot and crew, it was time to go. The order of our relay was set to start with Todd , then Jai, Rachel, Me, Stuart, and Dave. As Todd was getting ready and revved up to start, the pilot took us to the shores of Shakespeare Beach where our official start was about to take place. All three of the other teams have started ahead of us including the first team starting thirty minutes beforehand which made us the last and final team to take on the course. Todd jumped in without hesitation and started our team off with a solid leg. The cold , the chop , and the spring tide pulling us away from course did not stop him from passing the first relay team coming up with graceful efficiency and speed. Todd was hitting 62 strokes consistently throughout his swim with no sign of exhaustion or slowing down. Once the first hour had passed, it was time for Todd to get out and for Jai to take on the next leg for the team. From Todd’s description, the chop and conditions were no different than what we trained in the harbor leading up to the swim which made us all feel more than ready to go. Jai’s stroke resembles something of remarkable fluidity and control. Averaging 60 stokes per minute, he continued to take us further passing another team along the way, with from the looks of his stroke, there was no sign of struggle. Sticking to a relaxed two beat kick and front quadrant stroke it was time for him to let Rachel take the lead.

Rachel was ready more than ever for her chance to get our team even farther ahead. As she swam with immense power, at 68 strokes per minute, she finished her leg coming right up to the third relay team paralleled to our boat. With somewhat calm and steady nerves, it was time for me to jump in feet first. Once the horn went off, I was ready to get the team where they needed to be. With a surprisingly relaxed stroke in such turbulent waters, I was able to time the chop to my advantage. Averaging in at 56 strokes per minute I was able to get beyond the third team and on into the middle of the course. Then it was Stuart’s turn to take on the channel as once he jumped in the chopped turned into bigger and larger swells that tested ones efficiency to the core. As Stuart pierced through the water he was able to maintain a solid, strong tempo and hip drive into his stroke which averaged at 58 strokes per minute. The first round was then finished with Dave who drove through the chop with immense power and control at 60 strokes per minute while the rest of us were holding on to the boat as the chop was getting heavy. Dave was able to pull us past the last relay team which made us ahead of the all the other groups. The spring tide threw us off course more than normal but with our ability to stay efficient and strong it didn’t matter what kind of conditions were in our way as we were still making excellent headway throughout the course.

It was time for the last round of swims amongst our team that led on into the early afternoon. Todd jumped in for his second leg and felt better during the second swim than the first. Then Jai took on the next and continued with enjoyment and taking it all in before Rachel took over for her next swim. Rachel finished her swim with a few powerful strokes of butterfly then it was my turn to lead the team through the twilight into the darkness. It was Stuarts turn to start the first official night swim of the group where the conditions turned to calmer seas. As the outside temperature drew cooler it was time for Dave to give his best swim of the day and to his account the best swim he had had in months. We were so close to the finish but due to strong currents we needed Todd to suit up and finish another leg to get us onto the shores of Calais. The dark waters were in full effect and Todd was ready to pull it in for the team. Finally we could see the remaining buoys that held us close to the shore where we began to cheer Todd on as he was only a 100 meters away. On the rocky beach of Calais, Todd found steady ground and placed both feet solid on the rocks and waved his hands to officially complete the course. As we all cheered in amazement we couldn’t believe that our team had finished in at 12 hours and 49 minutes before the rest of the teams made way. It was a amazing experience and a unforgettable one. We were a team that came together, supported one another, and trained harder than ever to give as much as we could to pull in a outstanding result.

The post The Perfect Ending to a Epic Swim for Team TI6 appeared first on Total Immersion.

I wasn’t expecting to go get our suits on right away for a swim in Dover Harbor, but Dave insisted and I know I didn’t have much of a choice, I mean after all I potentially will be swimming the channel so I have to dive in head first without a second thought. So we met up with Todd Erickson and his wife Nancy for our first group swim and man… it was choppy and rough to say the least. Getting into the water was a challenge since the entire beach was covered in painful rocks. Once I got in the water, it was still a cold water shock as we have to wear just our suits, one cap , and earplugs but we adjusted quickly to start our swim. As Dave guided us to the first wall to our left, which we have forever nicknamed the “scalloped wall”, is the roughest side of the harbor if the conditions tend to be outside anything but calm. It is literally like being in a freezing human washing machine where it isn’t considered completed until you have touched the wall that is covered in sharp barnacles and seaweed. But during the swim I couldn’t help but stop and take it all in . The scenery was incredible overlooking Dover and the Castle up on the hill with the Channel off in the horizon. I caught my dad with a huge smile and infectious laughter since after all… we were still in disbelief that we are getting to experience this very moment. I know I will never forget that moment in time and there are many more that I am grateful to have during this trip.

The walk to our first early morning swim was a practice of extreme discipline for me since the entire walk down was stormy , windy, and rainy so I knew it was going to be rough out there. To my amazement, there were only a handful of regular swimmers ( normally theres over a 100 ) waiting to go in. While putting on my cap and goggles all I saw was the perfect storm ( you’ll only get my reference if you have seen the movie) none of our pictures or video do it justice but hopefully my writing will describe the sheer …..”holy crap this is for real ! ” kind of moment. So the advisor told us no go on heading to the left wall as it would wash us out but we can head to the right wall which I named to myself the “haunted Titanic” as it looked like a eerie, rusted old ship which didnt help the situation or my fear for that matter. So everyone headed down the beach as I followed and thought to myself , “alright this is …uh ..this is happening…okayyy they are really going in arent they?!”. And I proceeded to just dive in a carry on with my swim. I’ll tell you right now I haven’t pushed myself to those elements or those conditions ever and I successfully pulled through with a good swim and no heart attack.

After the perfect storm practice, Dave had us swim again and again everyday, twice a day, if we could fit it in between Rachel and my jet lag comas that followed our training, it was GOING to happen. So to summarize our training experience we have pushed through some tough conditions and I know for myself I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone to a whole new level of training and after today’s morning swim , Dave congratulated me in finishing four of those walls straight through that I didn’t think I could even do as we first arrived on Saturday. This was some SERIOUS swimming for me and I have felt I have come along way since arriving.

So I don’t want to write for too long as I will make separate blogs about other parts of our trip that I feel need more explanation. However, I would like to say that tonight we will find out if we are going to get the official “Yes” from the pilot that we will be swimming the EC after these stormy weather conditions and amidst the teams that are in line before us. When I was preparing for the trip and during the first couple of days, I was fixated on hoping we get to have a chance out there in the channel but after spending time with my team , TI6, learning about them more and more and what experiences we’ve had , getting to train together and go through the same challenges , I feel that these times are far more important at this moment. I have had a incredible opportunity to swim countless miles like terminator through swells, laugh till we cant breathe, eat amazing food, walk through ancient castles/ cathedrals in amazement, and bond with my fellow TI coaches and of course my Dad! This trip is definitely for the books and I know if we don’t get to swim the EC by the end of this trip, then we will just have to come back again….. oh darn

I would like to say thank you and much appreciation to Dave Cameron ( ” King Dave” ) as none of this would of been possible without his guidance and leadership. And to the rest of the team, Jai Evan’s ( ” TI JAI ” ) TI UK, Todd Erickson ( ” Hot Toddy” ) TI Texas, Rachel Van Scoy ( ” Dory “) TI Colorado , and Stuart McDougal ( aka ” Speedo Stu “) TI Los Angeles , thank you for making this trip a blast and a memorable one at that

Cheers and Happy Swimming,

Coach Mandy <3

*** If you have a chance, I highly reccomend reading my teamates blogs located on the TI website as well as facebook about their journey so far ***

The post Far Beyond the English Channel appeared first on Total Immersion.

Swimming has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. Fortunately as a swim Coach, I possess very distinct memories of the fears I had and what worked for me as a young child learning how to swim. My history of swimming dates back to around age 3 and progressed through the years as I took my love of swimming to higher levels from early childhood lessons, to swim team, to triathlons, to swimming miles, effortlessly, in the chilly waters of the San Francisco Bay. In addition, through years of experience working with children and discovering what works and what does not work, my goal is to help them understand the importance of their interaction with the water.

Total Immersion has taught me the very basic, but most important, principles of swimming that, unfortunately, I missed at an early age. Learning to swim is similar to the skill of ballet and gymnastics, both of which require fine tune focus and practice in order to excel. TI has emphasized that swimming is not just a physical process, it is also a neural process. Swimming is a skill acquired only through mindful practice and repetition. I firmly believe that introducing the basic fundamentals of TI to a child, in their most formative years, will not only help them dramatically in their success with swimming, but most importantly, increase their perception of learning. 

While conducting parent and baby classes in San Diego, I realized that teaching a child as early as possible prepares them for familiarity in an unstable environment without resorting to prehistoric reflexes of survival. As a species, we were not designed to live and thrive in an aquatic environment, an environment that triggers reflexes and tension that we have to consciously and actively turn off in order to work naturally with the water

It is important to realize that in order to be a great influence and educator for your child, it is crucial for you to understand the principles of Total Immersion. The fundamentals and approach of TI can help you teach your child the vital components of swimming and how they will perceive this new, exciting environment – and most importantly, have a new found enjoyment and overall comfort in the water, which benefits the both of you.

Consequently, this is another chance for you to really bond with your child and help them learn something so important in their life. After all, you are the greatest influence in your child’s life at this early stage of development. As you teach your child, you will realize this is also important feedback for yourself because the TI basics you teach your child are taught to all ages. Pay close attention to what happens when tension plays a role in the water and what direction energy flows. You are the initiator and it is the child’s role to absorb the visual feedback and eventually imitate what they are observing. 

You will begin to understand the importance of teaching your child as early as possible, having an overview of certain developmental concepts that will aid in their learning. Once you are able to have your child experience an environment that we were not genetically designed to survive in, you will create a life-long adaptation through neural and cognitive development and being able to adapt correctly to a new stimulus with confidence and comfort.

 Furthermore, through a process of discovery acquired from years of teaching children and adults, I have collected as a coach a progressive model that is continuing to evolve and improve. It is such a thrilling experience to witness dramatic changes in a child’s skill set and witness how much they love the water.

The three most important goals to achieve in a child’s process of adaptation are:

1) COMFORT: Introducing them to breathing and floating.

2) SAFETY: I can’t express this enough as far as teaching your child the importance of safety skills in the water so that they understand that no matter how fun and exciting the water may be, he or she must know that safety is #1 priority. This is accomplished by teaching them specific safety drills so that they are confident and happy.

3) FUN!: This shouldn’t be an overwhelming experience for a child but should be taken seriously to make sure they have fun and enjoy their time in the water.

 (3 year old swimmer pictured floating off back, comfortable, balanced – no tension — all smiles)

It is absolutely vital to make sure that your child is not pushed too far. This will limit their level of learning whether in their formative years or when they become adults. If the issue is not addressed quickly it will unfortunately imprint a subconscious fear that is difficult to get rid of. Since I have been teaching adults in the TI method, I have come across dozens of people with these similar experiences which only leads me to believe that this is the reason why they have a slower rate in achieving certain milestones in the water. So have fun and enjoy this time with your child by making every minute purposeful. Your child will express their overwhelming gratitude through their swimming and throughout their whole life.

The post TI for Kids – Where a Life Long Love of Swimming Begins appeared first on Total Immersion.