Happy reading, and don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of the page for photos sent in by other swimmers and support crew on how they have managed their own swims. Have suggestions, photos or videos from your own experiences you'd like to share here to help this resource grow and evolve? Let's chat, send me an email! wildbigswim@gmail.com​​
12.1 Motivational toolbox
The swimmer should give the crew some ideas on what works to keep them entertained and motivated, and these activities can be written into the swim plan so no one forgets what works well for the swimmer. Here are some ideas for the swimmer to consider:
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Getting messages of encouragement from loved ones.
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Getting a riddle question on a feed stop, and the answer to the riddle on the next feed stop.
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Getting a number to count strokes to on repeat. e.g, count 50 strokes, start over.
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Getting a song to sing in their head, give the crew a list of your favourites.
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Getting the name of a person in your circle so you can reflect on good memories with them, which encourages positive feelings of gratitude and even laughter, give the crew a list of people you love.
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Getting info on where you are geographically along the swim route.
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Having a crew member jump in and support swim (see below Section 12.3 Support swimming)​
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Messages of encouragement can be given at feed stops at any point along the swim, but the swimmer may not want any other activities until they actually need them, so talk about how that would be signalled during the swim. One approach can be that the swimmer tells the crew when their focus is waning, or the crew can suggest starting an activity if they see it might help the swimmer.
12.2 Whiteboard messages
Ask your swimmer if messages written on a whiteboard will help motivate them, and if so, what kind of information they'd like to receive (and avoid)! Positive reinforcement, position on the swim course or time, and messages from supporters are great options. Use thick dry-erase markers, short and easy to understand wording.
Both the swimmer and crew need to keep in mind that delivering fun messages to the swimmer or starting activities using the whiteboard has to be secondary to any more urgent messages pertaining to the swimmer's well-being. It can be hard to commit to doing anything at exact times during the swim since other things may be going on that need more attention, the crew should do their best to strike a good balance but they need to prioritize communicating about the swimmer's well-being where necessary.​
12.3 Support swimming
Support swimming, or buddy swimming, is when a crew member gets into the water and swims alongside the swimmer. It can be used to help motivate the swimmer at any point during the swim if they want company or are struggling to find the motivation to keep going. Support swimming is usually done for a maximum of 1 hour at a time, with a minimum of 1 hour break in between any two support swims. The swimmer and crew should find out before the swim if the swim organization has a cap on the total number of individual support swims that will be permitted.
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The swimmer doesn’t need to decide before the swim starts if they will want a crew member to support swim, they can decide in the moment if they want to and the crew member just needs to be wearing or quickly throw on their own swim gear.​ One approach that can be used for support swimming towards the end of a swim is to start about 4 hours out from the finish: 1 hour support swimming, 1 hour swimmer alone, 1 hour support swimming, 1 hour swimmer alone to the finish.
​The support swimmer must communicate with the boat pilot and have their permission before jumping into the water, sometimes weather conditions and boat traffic will not allow it. The support swimmer should be positioned on the swimmer’s dominant breathing side so the swimmer can see them, and most swims require the support swimmer to always stay slightly behind the swimmer as show in the diagram above. Having said that, some swims permit the support swimmer to help pace the swimmer by positioning themselves slightly ahead, in an attempt to help them maintain or pick up the pace. Find out the swim organization's rules, and practice ahead of the actual swim if you feel it's needed.
12.4 Having fun with feeds
For swimmers who have snacks and treats on their feed plan, having a little fun with feeds can be a great way to keep them motivated or entertained. Some swimmers are very regimented about how and when they will take their snacks and treats, so either ask about their preferences during your planning meeting or if things need a bit of pep on the water at some point, you can offer to "surprise them" each time you toss out the feed container.
In Section 7.4 Assume the feed plan goes to shit, we talked about raiding the fridge before heading to the swim start, that'll give you even more options to play with. Dig through your crew feed bags too! On a recent crossing of Lake Memphremagog, our swimmer was surprised with carrot cake ("who brought cake?!"), mini brownies ("wow brownies!"), and croquettes of mashed potatoes with crushed cheeze-its crackers mushed into into them ("oooo where did you get mashed potatoes yum!!")​. Not everything was a hit though, and a half-chewed raspberry fig bar quickly made it's way out on to the waves...jammy fillings were a no go...
SWIM COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS - PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
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