List of successful English Channel swimmers Puns

As an older athlete, I've long been bothered by some of the body issues I see around me.

Channel swimmers often have to deal with issues similar to the mainstream population but often exaggerated further, such as female athletes dealing with concerns of perceived loss of gender identity, being an ageing athlete, general worries about self-identity. Channel swimmers must engage in very high training levels and a lot of eating (up to 8k calories a day), display absolute commitment, and even endure abnormal body transformation, (such as where we deliberately put on fat and retain it in order to perform such difficult swims). Many do not make the crossing, often after years of commitment to the pursuit of Channel crossing causing them to question their motivation or how they define success.

We don't generally look like elite athletes. Hell we don't even look like any kind of athletes.

Last year some of you will remember I did the Fititt's Bodies thing, which was in part an attempt to show that even atheletes are a lot of different shapes. It wasn't entirely successful as I got a lot of Ab shots, some people having missed the point, some being very proud of their changes.

Anyway, you might find my friend's first publication interesting as it addresses some of these issues. This is the first ever sociological study of our minority extreme sport.

As she says and which I've changed to suit current purposes, [fitness] is not only about [fitness], but also about who we are, and who we want others to think we are.

And don't forget...Swimmit. For your watery needs.

EDIT: My command of the written language is usually better than the drivel I write just before bed last night. Apologies.