"The swimmer," a visual poem by open water swimmer Audun Taraldsen. скачать в хорошем качестве

"The swimmer," a visual poem by open water swimmer Audun Taraldsen.

The swimmer... A visual poem about the physical and mental benefits of open water swimming and an expression of my love for the ocean. ___ When I enter the ocean, tired and hopeless, I am not sure if I will ever return. Maybe today is the day I will just keep swimming? I step into the bitter cold and it burns my skin like a million red hot needles. I force myself to breathe slowly, accepting the cold and salty embrace. I kick off gliding forward. I see only darkness below but I am weightless and free. I feel the palm of my hand catching the water, pushing it along my body, propelling me forward. Catch. Pull. Release. Kick. Repeat. I surrender to the ebb and flow. I exhale my past and with every inhale, I am reborn. I am right here, right now. The fog lifts from my mind. I am far from the shore, alone but safe. I am home. I put my head down in the darkness again, smile and swim towards the shore, hopeful, energized. Today was not the day.