One of the things I love most about open water swimming, my favorite things to do in nature, is the community of women I’ve met who love the water.
Some of us swim; some of soak. All of us approach the water with equal measures of joy and reverence. We know the healing powers of the water. The lake (or the sea) embraces us in a magical way: our injuries, ailments, and disabilities dissolve. We become one with nature in a way not possible on land.
In the water we are all free and equal. Nobody worries about how they look in a swimsuit, much less a wetsuit. Nobody competes with anyone else, and nobody judges. It is the only place I can think of in my life where woman have been pretty much universally open and supportive of other women.
This gives me hope.