Why I’m Training to Swim the English Channel: My 2-Year Journey
How Everything Came Together
I jumped at the chance to commit to a two-year journey to cross the Everest of swims. It’s one thing to tell your athletes to “push their boundaries.” It’s quite another to commit to training for 2 years to swim in cold, choppy, jellyfish-infested water and say, “Yeah, I am going to do this.”
If you know me, you know my coaching philosophy at Tri Balance is summed up in one line: Where Fear and Courage Meet. I am 90 days out and fear is loud in my mind, and courage is just trying to settle in. That’s exactly why I’m taking this on.
The “Why” Behind the Madness
People often ask me why I’m doing this, and why now. For years, I’ve watched my kids compete at high levels in hockey and soccer. I’ve also seen my husband referee basketball at three Olympic Games. I’ve spent even more time coaching amazing adult athletes through their first triathlons and feared open-water swims. I realized it was time for me to step back into the unknown myself.
I needed to remember what it’s like to be a beginner again—to feel that real, unsettling uncertainty my students experience when they sign up for swimming lessons in Kamloops or come to our classes in Burnaby.
Swimming the English Channel isn’t just about covering the distance. It’s about long-term commitment—a two-year transformation. It’s about the connection with the people on my relay team. It’s about my triathlon community, which encourages and trains with me. It’s about getting to know myself and the power of teamwork.
The Strategy: It’s Not About Strength, It’s About Grace
I’m not the fastest or strongest swimmer. If I tried to power my way across the Channel, I’d be exhausted long before halfway. That’s why I rely on my knowledge of Total Immersion Swimming.
At Tri Balance, we don’t just teach people to move their arms faster—we teach them to move better. For this journey, efficiency matters most. Total Immersion is about reducing drag, finding an easy, smooth glide and then adding power. It’s not about chasing speed, but letting speed come to you. It’s not about fighting the water; you have to work with it. I have 2 years to let speed come to me.
Training for the English Channel is the biggest test of this idea. I spend hours each week working on small details: relaxing my neck, lengthening my spine, and building core strength and stability. How much power makes me faster or expends too much energy? If I increase my stroke rate, will it make me faster or tire me out?
The Physical Grind
As a two-time Ironman finisher, the swim training doesn’t feel overwhelming. My plan is to swim three to four times a week. I need to prove I can handle 4 hours of swimming hard and keep good form when I’m tired.
There’s a lot of time spent staring at the black line on the pool floor. You can’t recreate the tides, rough waves, or the freezing cold of the North Atlantic in a warm community pool. Over the past 2 years, I have had many trips planned to practice swimming in unfamiliar ocean waters. That’s where growth happens. That’s where fear meets courage. Feeling the fear and going for a swim anyway. Swallowing salt water and continuing. Getting water in your goggles and recovering. Making the cold water feel more like a companion than an intruder.
Strength, Mobility, and Nutrition
In my 30s, I finished two Ironman Triathlons. Back then, I thought, “I’ll just swim, bike, and run more, and it’ll all work out.” That approach doesn’t work in my 50s. This two-year plan isn’t just about swimming more; it’s about healing my frozen shoulder, strengthening my healing torn hamstring, rebuilding muscle, and improving ankle flexibility.
Strength training can’t be optional. Mobility stretches have to be part of my daily routine. It’s about doing simple things consistently, every day.
Food is a cultural celebration for. During COVID, I exercised to eat more, and the pounds piled on. Then menopause brought even more changes. More weight meant more inflammation and less energy. I had to change my mindset: food is now my fuel. I eat well so I can train well. I need to fine-tune my nutrition to get rid of heartburn and stop relying on Tums. I’m learning to eat like an athlete again—enough protein to rebuild, enough carbs to train hard, and enough real food so I’m not just running on caffeine. I want to show up to this English Channel relay as the most prepared, durable Teresa I have ever known.
The Mental Game: Conquering Fear, Fatigue, and the Cold
I think the physical swim will be the easiest part—you just keep moving. The mental challenge is the real test. Our five-person team expects to take 15 to 18 hours.
Our minds have to handle a strange mix of intensity and waiting. There are no cheering crowds in the middle of the shipping lanes—just me, my team, and the boat crew. Between swims, we’ll hear the engine’s quiet hum, smell the salt and fuel, and maybe feel a bit seasick as the boat rocks on the waves.
I’ve always practiced mindful swimming, and all my coaching plans are mindful programs. It’s about staying present with every stroke. One stroke at a time. Make every stroke count. I have to think about this breath. This reach. This moment.
The Logistics of a Dream
Planning a Channel swim is overwhelming. You need to book a pilot boat years ahead, which is why this is a two-year journey. You have to find the right relay teammates, follow the Channel Swimming Association’s rules, complete a qualifying swim, and get medical forms signed by a doctor.
There’s something special about having a goal so big it scares you. It makes you reorganize your life around your values. You start eating better, sleeping more, and cutting out distractions. Everything becomes simpler.
My Thoughts and Reflections
I want to share this journey because when I work with someone in our swimming classes who’s scared to put their face in the water, I understand. I really do.
I’m facing my own version of that fear. The scale is different, but the feeling is the same. It’s made me more empathetic, more patient, and a better coach.
Whether I’m at the pool for swimming lessons in Kamloops or out at the Penticton Open Water Camp, I’m constantly learning. Every athlete I coach teaches me something about resilience that I’ll need when I’m halfway to France, and the tide turns against me…. the messy, unglamorous parts and the little wins too. Training for an English Channel relay has already reminded me that big goals aren’t about being fearless. They’re about showing up anyway… and doing the small things (technique, strength, mobility, nutrition, recovery) that keep you healthy enough to keep going.
And if you have a dream that feels a bit out there, hold onto it. Nurture it. Protect it. Dream big on purpose.
If you want to follow along as training continues—the cold dips, open water swims in Vancouver, technique work with Total Immersion, and the behind-the-scenes of this two-year plan—stay connected with us at Tri Balance. I’ll keep sharing updates as we go.
See you in the water…
🏊🏼♀️ Teresa
