In an interview with the British press who is really helping to promote open water swimming in Great Britain, world 10K champion and Olympic silver medalist Keri-Anne Payne said, “Open water swimming is a tough sport, but there isn’t really anything that fazes me, except sharks.”

Fortunately, the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be held in Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, only a few minutes from Buckingham Palace where nearly 250,000 spectators are expected to watch the fastest open water swimmers on the planet – with most of them pulling for Keri-Anne.

“Actually there are quite a lot of things to think about and I don’t find [a 10K marathon swim] at all monotonous or boring. Sometimes I think about things other than swimming, anything that comes into my head really, but the most important thing is to make sure you are where you want to be and if you aren’t, how you want to get there.”

Apparently, often there are more hazardous things to worry about too. “When I raced in the Hudson River [during the FINA World Cup in New York City] it was ridiculous – big waves, jellyfish, weeds and lots of boats making it choppy. I came out with jellyfish stings, a bloodied nose, a black eye and sore feet. You often get hit when you’re all trying to get around the same turning point. It’s a tough sport but there isn’t really anything that fazes me now – except sharks.”

Copyright © 2010 by Open Water Source