When swimmers travel around the world, they can sometimes be in difficult situations when they do not speak the language of the race director or their escort pilot and crew.
But somehow through body language, pointing, and drawing pictures, they make themselves understood. Left, right, straight ahead…these are easy concepts to communicate. He is feeling cold, the water looks rough, and what direction do you turn around the buoys are a bit more difficult to explain and understand, but body language often does the trick.
Questions like ‘Where are the strongest currents? What type of jellyfish is that? and Do you have any extra lanolin?’ take a lot more effort and patience to communicate between languages and cultures. But what we appreciate about the sport of open water swimming is that ultimately the points get relayed and understood between swimmers and coaches from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.
Sometimes, the cross-cultural communications seem a bit easier on the water than on land…
Upper photo shows Adam Walker of Great Britain and Captain Mizushima of Japan with crew.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.