“I have always loved the water and have amazing childhood memories of swimming in our local rivers in Newtonmore where I grew up..even with ice along the edges! I suffer from a muscle condition that very often leaves me feeling fatigued and in pain. When I am in the cold water all of that disappears and I feel strong and completely alive. It’s like the illness falls off me and I become my old self again. Feeling the immense power and natural force of the ocean is incredible. Your viewpoint changes - bringing you quite literally down to sea level and giving you a refreshing and wonderful perspective on the world. I love the colour of the water through blurry eyes as you swim through the waves and having terns and gulls flying right overhead. You become part of the environment - not just a bystander.”