"We want to make swimrun more accessible to everyone" Interview with Envol Swimrun
Nicolas Remires is the founder of Envol swimrun and the swimrun club Team Envol – an international club for beginners as well as elite swimmers. Today he runs the business from his hometown of Stockholm together with Catarina Remires Axelsson. With a great passion for swimrun, they have built a network with members in over 20 countries worldwide.
Gococo met with Envol Swimrun for an interview, where Nicolas and Catarina talk about how the social community and nature experience are just as important a part of the sport as the actual pursuit of the podium. We also get their best tips on how to get started with swimrun as a beginner!
Increased interest opened up an international swimrun club
We start by asking how it all started. Nicolas, who is himself an elite athlete in the sport, tells us in English:
- I was looking for a swimrun partner for myself, to train with, and it was difficult to find someone. At first it was mainly elite athletes, but more and more people wanted to join our group and then we decided to open the group up to everyone. We also received requests from other countries, says Nicolas.
Catarina fills in and says that it was Nicolas who wanted to make swimrun more accessible, that the sport should not only be for elite athletes. French Canal+ then came to Sweden to make a documentary about swimrun, which led to a lot of attention in France, and increased interest.
Nicolas initially worked as a coach in triathlon, running and swimming. Today he focuses on swimrun, but there are still members who primarily compete in triathlon, or running, but who are still part of the swimrun club. Today, their members range from beginners who have never crawled, to world champions.
Global swimrun business with online operations
During the interview, we understand why Envol is based in Sweden and Stockholm. The capital with its archipelago and all the islands is the perfect landscape for practicing swimrun. Although their activities are mainly online, they meet their members at competitions around the world.
- We live in Stockholm, and there is a group of people who train with us physically. We have about 200 members in over 20 countries all over the world, so most of the activity is online. There are many conversations that take place in WhatsApp and in other forums, says Catarina.
The chance of finding a swimrun partner or exchanging tips and advice also increases if you are part of a global swimrun network, she adds. 
The charm of swimrun
What is the great appeal of swimrun – what makes the combination of running and swimming an increasingly popular sport? Catarina:
- That it's more than just a sport. It's nature experience and adventure. Swimrun is almost more like surfing than triathlon. You can grab a bunch of friends and go out and do some swimrun this weekend - not many triathletes do that.
It's also about discovering new areas that you then share with other swimrunners, and that you usually compete in pairs. In the races, a special pair dynamic arises where you help each other through the race. There are a lot of hugs and tears at the finish line and there's a reason for that, she adds.
- It's not so much about the competitive part of the sport, it's more about going out on a Sunday with your friends and doing a swim run instead of going out for a hike, mountain biking or taking a walk. That's how we think the sport should develop, Nicolas continues.
“Swimrun is more than just a sport – it is a nature experience and adventure”
Tips for beginners – get started with swimrun
It's easy to get the impression that swimrun is a tough sport only for extreme athletes. As an ordinary exerciser, do I really dare to try it? Nicolas and Catarina believe that the sport is for anyone who is interested, and that it doesn't have to be that complicated to get started.
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Dare to try – don’t make it too complicated. Basically, just jump in the water with your shoes on, swim to a bay or island, walk or run across and continue swimming on the other side. Don’t make it too complicated!
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Have a buddy in open water. Never swim alone when swimming in open water, for safety reasons. There are always risks with outdoor swimming, so you should always have a training buddy. Currents, boat traffic and cold water can be dangerous for you as a swimmer.
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Join a club. If you want to start competing, it's a good idea to join a club. At Envol swimrun, all members are provided with a training program, based on your goals.
- Safety. It is possible to compete solo, but the competition format is usually in pairs. You can also swimrun with three or four people on a rope, which is a safety aspect, so as not to swim alone. Most people sit together on a rope during the swims and runs.
Equipment
Nicolas and Catarina say that you don't really need much equipment, especially in warm water temperatures. At most competitions, a wetsuit is a must, but in many Swedish lakes, a pair of tights and running shoes that you can get wet will suffice. If it's cold, however, a wetsuit that is adapted for swimrun is recommended.
Most people use a so-called dolme, a flotation device, which you fasten between your legs when it becomes difficult to swim with shoes. Other equipment usually consists of a small first aid kit, swimming cap and swimming goggles.
Socks and shoes for swimrun
The shoes should not be too thick because they will absorb a lot of water. Shoes for swimrun should also have good grip when you are competing and training in the terrain. It is not necessary to have special swimrun shoes, as long as they are comfortable to run in. Many people use a minimalist shoe, a form of barefoot shoes. However, it can take a few years to be able to run long distances in such shoes.
"We recommend people start walking or taking short runs in barefoot shoes - minimalist shoes - to get stronger feet. A stronger foot twists less easily on wobbly rocks, but most people race in their trail shoes even if they spend the rest of the time in their barefoot shoes," says Catarina.
What kind of socks should I wear when training or competing in swimrun? There are specially designed socks for swimrun today. Whether to wear high or low swimrun socks is a matter of taste according to Nicolas and Catarina. Many people like to compete with high compression socks ; partly to protect the legs from abrasions from branches and sharp rocks when transitioning in and out of the water, partly for warmth and circulation for the calves. If it is cold, a pair of wool socks is preferable.
- There are those who have tried running without socks, because they think it will be a problem if the socks are wet, but if you have a good pair of sports socks that stay in place, there is no problem at all, says Catarina.
Nicolas adds that he himself prefers low-cut swimrun socks when he competes at an elite level, however he knows that many prefer the high-cut swimrun socks because they are warmer. Catarina agrees and says that she herself finds it comfortable to wear compression socks on long runs.
Training for beginners in swimrun
What's special about swimrun is that it's two sports in one. This unique sport means you train as both a runner and a swimmer. We asked Nicolas and Catarina to list their best training tips for beginners.
- The first thing you should do is learn to crawl. It is difficult to swim breaststroke with shoes, so it is important to be able to crawl. Focus on swimming first and make sure you can crawl a few lengths in the pool. You can take some swimming lessons if you want. Then you can add equipment and swim with a dolme (floatation aid, ed. note) which makes everything easier and more fun.
- Jog or walk in the forest. Anyone who can walk or jog a few kilometers can do swimrun. Of course, it depends entirely on what level you want to get into, but Nicolas wants the sport to change and become more accessible to everyone, something he returns to during the interview.
- Find your level. Practicing swimrun doesn't have to be about 75 kilometers from Sandhamn to Utö, it can also be 3 kilometers around your local lake at a leisurely walking pace and swimming.
- In France we have a group where they just walk a bit, and swim a bit, then they go home. It's a form of swimrun they already do there. It makes swimrun more accessible, to make people understand that it's a sport that's accessible to everyone. You just need the right place, says Nicolas.
Catarina goes on to talk about a company event they had:
- We took a company of 100 people out to Utö. They had a number of months to prepare. When they were presented with the project, many of them turned white in the face. "Swimrun - extreme sport - should I do it?" they thought. We made a course that everyone could do, about 150 meters and that's a distance you can swim breaststroke, even with shoes. They did it and were so happy afterwards, just when they realized: now I've done this thing that I thought was only for extreme sports! 
Tips on swimrun competitions and community
Finally, we ask for tips on competitions and places for those interested in swimrun. Nicolas and Catarina recommend Ångaloppet, which is a good beginner competition. They are experienced organizers and even have competitions for children. Otherwise, it is a good idea to find your local swimrunners via social media, for example. In addition, Envol swimrun is currently developing a function on the website where you can search for swimrun friends all over the world.
Gococo thanks Team Envol for the interview, and if you are interested in learning more or starting swimrun, you can find Nicolas and Catarina on the website. Envol swimrun .
