A Bit About Who We Are

Train Hard Swim Easy

It all began in 2007 when WiLDS founder Hamish was serving as a Major in the Army and completed his first Channel Relay swim. Hooked on open water swimming to compliment his Waterpolo fitness he took over as The Army Open Water Swimming Officer. His duties saw him acting as the lead for the water safety organisation and planning at Army Open Water swimming events and annual swim camps in Gibraltar.  Working with GB Olympic medal winning coach Rosa Gallup they enjoyed great success in 2 swims around Jersey and in 3 Tri-Service relay team races across the English channel.

​

A career change after 20 years in the Army led to teaching in Somerset. Bringing with him great experience of coaching, mentoring and organisation he founded Taunton School Long Distance Swimming Club. His first event in 2016, a race between his 13 year old pupils, teachers and The Royal Marines, saw his pupils lose narrowly by 150m to a team drawn from the Elite of Britain's fighting forces. Hamish continues to train young swimmers in open water swimming, providing a full yearly training programme both pool and sea based. To date his swimmers have registered the three youngest team crossings of The English Channel. They also hold the fastest crossings of the Solent and have dominated open water swimming events in the South West with podium places at the Exmoor Swim, LymeSplash and Chestnut series of events annually. 

​

WiLDS was born from a group of highly enthusiastic, qualified open water swimmers who met whilst achieving great swimming challenges together in 2015. Now they work together to provide this ethos and enjoyment for others.