By Jim Corah
Rodley business owner Clare Clifford will soon be a Mental Health Swims host at RSPB St Aidan’s Nature Reserve.
Mental Health Swims help everyone enjoy the healing power of cold water swimming, and Clare will be hosting regular swims at St Aidan’s. Clare has been wild swimming for a while, whatever mood she is in a swim is “the one thing that can lift me out of it.” Preferring dips over distances, Clare extols the view that wild swimming is for sanity over vanity.
Training to host Mental Health Swims has been an “eye opener” for Clare, though she feels much more confident in supporting others to swim.
”After a difficult period of poor mental and physical health I decided to quite literally take the plunge and try wild swimming,” she said. “I felt instantly more alive than I had in a very long time, and knew that I’d found my happy place – who knew it would be in (sometimes freezing) cold water.
“After I attended some other Mental Health Swims locally I decided to make the step to apply to be a volunteer and launch my own swim. I can’t wait to safely guide others on their journey to experiencing the natural high and benefits of the water.
“As a busy mum, business owner and person, the water gives me a moment of calm and stillness amongst all the chaos that is modern day life.”
Aside from hosting swims at St Aiden’s, Clare Clifford runs Sunshine Digital Media and is the founder of ‘shop local’ website Find It In Farsley.
Mental Health Swims believe in empowering everyone – people of all skin colours, body shapes, ages, sexualities, genders, backgrounds and abilities – to enjoy the healing power of cold water and community. In 2021 there were 80 swims, with more like St Aidan’s being added once hosts like Clare complete their training.
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