Winter swimmers

I have loved the sea since I was a child. I prefer it from the mountain, winter and summer. I can not imagine my summer vacation away from the sea. However, I think I could never swim in its cold waters in the winter.

The inhabitants of the areas of coastal highway in Athens, those who live in Alimos, Glyfada, Neo Faliro, Vouliagmeni, are the most winter swimmers. Whenever you go through there in the winter, you will always see some people swimming or sunbathing. For them, as soon as the sun rises, it is summer, even if the temperature outside the water is only five degrees. In general, I have noticed that those who live in these areas of Attica, near the sea, are involved in sports every day, not necessarily, but as a way of life.

Every time I went there with my husband or with our daughter, for a coffee or to ride our daughter a bike, when she was little, I watched them all wear sports clothes and shoes, run with the walkman in the ears or swim in the sea. They looked like they were living in another country, or not having an affair with the rest of us living in the city center. I admired them and wondered where they found the mood to exercise and then I thought that I had a long time to exercise, even for a while.

On the contrary, I have noticed and heard from people living in coastal places, far from Attica, or on the islands, even in the summer, not to go swimming because they say that whenever they want, they can see the sea, they are used to it or they are bored at it.

I still don’t understand this at all and I don’t like to hear it either. Then I think that I am in a much better position, since, while I live in Athens, in the summer I do my vacations and my baths and at the same time I am not bored at sea. Nor do I ever want to get used to it so much that it is enough for me to see it only from a distance.

Those who are winter swimmers, claim that they never get sick, while at the same time they are kept in very good physical condition. They get used to the cold little by little at first, since they never stop bathing and then it doesn’t bother them. I would love this to happen to me, but it can’t be done. Instead, I compromised in the winter with the swimming pool, but with heated and indoor pool. The beauty of the sea, however, is not compared to any pool and they are lucky those who can enjoy it swimming, in winter or in summer or even better, all year round.

Anthoula P. Veziri