Deep Dive: The Power of the Pod
The trials and tribulations of the Corona virus pandemic have divided some people, but this neighborhood swim pod found a safe way to come together and in the process they’ve learned to trust each other and themselves, they’ve pushed each other to swim further than they thought they could, but they also know when to give grace. Making it easier to bear the weight of the stresses in their lives and get through another day.
This was a nice reflection of the power and intimacy of my own swim pod who I don’t see nearly enough these days. And a good reminder how empowering it is to find your people. You never know what you might try or how far you might go, if you find the right company.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
In their own words:
Cindy Werhane: I guess in the open water world I’m the jack of all trades, master of none. I’ve raced, lead groups, swam solos, done adventure swims, support swam, gone long, short, hot and cold. I was once known to never swim the same workout, race, or route twice. 2020 changed my mindset on that swim strategy. I have always felt appreciative of small group swims and once groups expand too big for me I excuse myself.
Emma Goodwin: I am finishing my PhD at Portland State University, where I study biology education research—broadly, my field focuses on understanding how we can better support the experiences and retention of undergraduate science students, and in particular addressing diversity/equity issues within science education. I have been passionate about open-water swimming for over 10 years, but have spent the majority of my time swimming in a pool. I “discovered” Portland’s open water swimming community in the summer of 2019, when I was training for the 11-mile Portland Bridge Swim. Since then, I have swum year-round in Portland’s rivers without a wetsuit. The pandemic and consequent decreased pool access has limited the number of people I swim with and expanded my comfort zone with winter open-water swimming. The trust and support I share with our swim Pod has allowed me to swim in conditions that I never imagined I would be comfortable with, and that has been a truly special experience.
Peter Rock loves to swim. Historically in the waters off the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin, sometimes in pools, recently around the isle of Milos, and most often and most happily in the rivers surrounding Portland (mostly Willamette, sometimes Columbia). He’s a fiction writer and teaches in the English Dept. at Reed College.
His most recent novel, THE NIGHT SWIMMERS, involves a fair amount of open water, and not so long ago he swam around the island of Milos for the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/t-magazine/milos-greece-swimming.html
Scott Bannan grew up in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains where he competitively swam, played water polo and spent much of his free time in the ocean or backyard pool. He and his father would enter many open water swim races together from the age 11 to 16 when they swam the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim. After High School, he lost interest in swimming only to be rejuvenated by a challenge from his father to an open water swim race nearly 20 years later. In his efforts to not lose to his father, Scott found a perfect pod of three diverse swimmers to swim with amongst everything the last 12 months has thrown their way.
