Queen of Hideous Swims #8

📸 Credit: Malaper Photography

Who are they?

Matthew is a swimmer, coach, and co-founder of the Bristol branch of Out to Swim. A lifelong swimmer, and keen breaststroker, he joined Out to Swim over a decade ago, serving on committees and as a trustee, advancing access for LGBTQ+ people in aquatics.

Looking back at the swim

From podium to personal best 

There’s a photo somewhere in my scrapbook – me, at the top of the podium, beaming. I’d just won a breaststroke style event for Northampton Swimming Club, beating swimmers twice my size. Breaststroke was my thing. I was the breaststroker. A club champion, county champion and even competing nationally. I could glide through the water like a penguin with a style I was comfortable in and ticked all my coaches’ boxes.
And that was the thing. I was comfortable. For years, swimming meant sticking to what I knew – what I was good at. Breaststroke was my safe space, my victory lap. Until I stumbled upon the Hideous Swims movement and suddenly everything I thought I knew about swimming flipped.
Here were swimmers celebrating the slow, the challenging and possibly also a lack of grace. The swims where it wasn’t about medals, but about pushing yourself, trying something completely different, and even having a laugh. So, inspired, I signed up for my club’s 100m butterfly – a stroke I’d never dared compete in before.But I was in the spotlight – I was the only entrant. They merged me with the backstroke event. But there I was, giving it my all, arms flailing, legs kicking, a stroke that was anything but elegant. And you know what? It didn’t matter. I got a PB (obviously, having never swum it competitively before), but more importantly, I had my teammates cheering me on, celebrating each wobbly, gasping metre.
That moment wasn’t about being the fastest or the most stylish – it was about saying, “Why not?”.  It was about breaking out of my comfort zone and remembering that swimming is about joy, not just technique.
Since then, I’ve taken on other hideous swims – including a particularly memorable (and painful) 2000m IM. Each one has been a reminder that winning isn’t just about podiums – it’s about showing up, trying something new, and embracing the sheer fun of it all.
So here’s to the Hideous swims – the ones that make us laugh, make us stronger, and remind us why we fell in love with swimming in the first place.