Overcoming Open Water Swim Struggles

How Many Times Will You Get Back Up?

Rohit is new to triathlon. Like many overachievers, he has a “go big or go home” mentality. He signed up for his first triathlon, IRONMAN Atlantic City 70.3 and contacted us soon after.

Rohit had a decent understanding of triathlon, but he didn’t know how to swim and wasn’t sure how to best prepare for the race. However, he understands the value of professional guidance and proper preparation. He’s also determined to be successful and he’s willing to put the work in.

Despite all of this, the reality was Rohit had a massive goal. Like any BIG goal in life, the journey to his finish 70.3 finish line would likely have a couple bumps in the road. And it did.

Doing Work!

Following several 1 on 1 swim sessions and a few months of structured practice, Rohit learned how to swim. He was now able to complete regular swim sets in the pool and we started to increase his yardage. He has also made outstanding progress in the other disciplines.

Race Day

May quickly rolled around and with it came his first triathlon. He was fit and ready to go but this would also be his first experience in the open water. Needless to say, it didn’t go as he expected.

When the gun went off and he began to swim, he struggled to find his rhythm and and never felt comfortable. His race ended only a few hundred yards into the swim as he waved over a kayak and got a tow into shore.

This was a huge disappointment for Rohit, but he shook it off and signed up for a short mid week sprint triathlon in order to get more open water and race experience. However, yet again, he failed to complete the swim.

Following his second “failed” attempt Rohit struggled to shake it off.

Determination & Persistence

Days following Rohit’s second “failed” attempt, Coach Chris connected with him for a private 1 on 1 open water swim session.

Coach Chris took Rohit through RTA’s Open Water Swim protocol for athletes struggling with the open water. You can learn more about it here: “Conquering Open Water Swim Nerves.”

The session went very well and it clearly seemed to do the trick.

The next day Rohit entered and successfully completed and open water swim race. The following weekend he completed his first triathlon and nailed his swim. To this date, he has put in a ton of hard work and we couldn’t be more proud and excited for him.

Next up, IRONMAN Atlantic City 70.3 in September!

Straight from Rohit:

“Life milestone achieved today! After failing twice, fighting poor confidence due to each failure and unfathomable aniexty in the open water, I finally did it!!!

Half mile open water swim was officially a success today! I could not have done it without the help and faith of my family and life-changing coaches. Thank you, Coach Chris and Coach E!!!

Lastly, I want to thank myself for persisting amidst mind boggling failures and mental storms. I could not have done it without firstly having faith in myself and the universe. This is what happiness feels like. This is just the beginning.” – Rohit