“I got in and the pain in my hands was like nothing I had ever experienced, it was like they had exploded from the inside out but my skin was keeping the explosion in.” That’s the feeling of getting in to water at zero degrees Celsius according to ice swimmer Caroline Saxon.
Concluding our series of retirement stories, Ross recalls how a home Olympic Games in London was the perfect time to bow out on his own terms. But although he finished on a high, there was still the challenge of making his way in the world to overcome.
Come what may, Katie had decided that 2012 would be it for her, but injury intervened and the end would come sooner than hoped. Continuing our retirement special she recalls the circumstances that forced her from the water.
After two Olympics, Jemma Lowe missed out on a third Games in 2016, leading her to call time on her swimming career. Here she recalls the difficult time that followed that decision as she moved on from the pool
Roberto Pavoni got caught up in some very tough British qualifying times for the Rio Olympics and missed selection despite being British champion over 200IM. Here he reflects on how he came to accept there was more to life than his own swimming.