The Olympics will be over by the time you read this. We will have watched humans reaching their highest physical achievements ever and marvelled at their speed, fortitude and courage. Spare a thought for two members of our group who show similar attributes as they brave the North Sea for minutes at a time in the pursuit of the most enjoyable way to justify a hot drink.
Where is the speed, fortitude and courage you may ask? Well, the courage is obvious, just dip your toe in the sea anywhere along our lovely coast and you will know it takes a certain sort of strength and determination to let that water above your thighs. Peeling off all our outer garments except our woolly hats, gloves, shoes and swimming costumes requires fortitude and some would say stupidity, but the same could be said of a lot of sports. The sea is there, so why not swim in it? This seems as reasonable as choosing to loop the loop with a bike or hit a ball back and forwards over a net.
There is drama too: it is quite a spectacle watching ladies of a certain age arrive in their quilted coats, laughing and chatting determinedly as they leave their belongings on the shore and wade into the North Sea clutching their flotation devices.
Yet it is all worth it, as we swim in the cold but supporting waters of Stonehaven Harbour. The sun glints over the cliff and birds come surprisingly close. We feel at peace with the world and exhilaration as our bodies respond to the cold.
Our new rule is to only stay in the water for approximately the same number of minutes as the sea temperature, so swimming is pretty determined as we are only in for an optimistic 20 minutes! Then, it is the super speedy exit into the fresh coastal air to our lovely coats and the delight of hot chocolate from our Thermos flasks.
Sea swimming helps us appreciate our beautiful coast and leads us into swimming in rivers and lochs whenever we can. It makes us notice the need for litter collection and protection of bodies of water and to love the detail of the sea animals and plants on the beach.
Courage, speed and fortitude are definitely required for this activity, so l propose this as a new Olympic sport from start to finish, including the hot drink.
We would also encourage you to put Aberdeen Beach Clean dates in your diary, then you can watch the dolphins and seals close to our city without even getting wet, but with similar appreciation of woolly hats and hot drinks.
Julia House
MCS Aberdeen Beach Clean:
21 Sept North End City Beach 10.00
8 Dec Donmouth north 13.00