The Kings Swimmers is the definitive training camp for anyone wishing to achieve their dream.
For the first time channel swimmer or the experienced multiple crosser, the Kings Swimmers are the people you want by your side. Experienced and passionate, knowledgeable and friendly, they are the perfect partners to help guide you from your first tentative strokes in Dover Harbour all the way through to the moment you set foot on France. The combination of personalised training plans, enthusiasm and unconditional support helped me cross the channel and I would recommend them to anyone looking to do the same.
Claire Leighton
Back in mid-May 2020, when the world was closed, the King Swimmers opened for business.
One on one, they chaperoned me through a 6 hour qualifier, two 7 and 6 hour weekends and a 10 hour dress rehearsal starting at 5.00am. Rain or shine, they walked pretty much every metre I swam. When I stood on the beach at Samphire Hoe, there were no doubts in my mind. Kevin, Kathy, Ian and Paula had made sure of that!
I was the last man standing after nearly 13 hours of a very tough all night swim in the Channel. SIPE may have got me that night as I hit French inshore waters………..but the knowledge and confidence that the King Swimmers have provided me with will live on for when I stand on that beach at Samphire Hoe the next time.
Very simply, if you want to be the best (that you can be), be mentored by the best.
Ed Horne
…..I was very lucky to be able to attend the October swim camp with King’s Swimmers in Dover. I would say this is a must for anyone looking at a solo or relay channel swim, or just wanting to improve their open water sea swimming. The knowledge and experience of the coaching staff is immense, and it’s clear they care passionately about what they do. It was a tough camp and there were highs and lows for all of us, but I have come away having made new friendships, and in a great place to take my sea swimming forward in 2022. Thank you to everyone on the King’s Swimmers’ Team……..
Rob Sisley
I wish I had been part of The Kings Swimmers years ago!
From the first point of contact with Kathy & Kevin i just knew that i was dealing with professionals and that swimming was a passion not just a career.
I lacked confidence due to lockdown and even though i continued to swim in my ‘swim pod’ in the back garden tethered to a tree, on my arrival at the Dover swim camp in July my nerves lasted about 5 minutes!
Once i was given my instructions and got into the water i just felt at home, it was bliss and i didn’t want to get out!
The camp was hard work, it was as hard as you wanted it to be and i wanted to feel as though i had worked hard and at the end of the week i came away feeling hugely satisfied that my dream of swimming the English Channel would come true because of the confidence and belief that Kathy & Kevin had in me.
The weather was against me this year but next year i am not leaving Dover until i swim to France!
Thank you both so very much and can’t wait until the Menorca camp in April 2021!
Caroline Connor
‘The Kings Swimmers training camp was an amazing experience. Kevin, Kathy, Ian and Paula are a great team with bags of experience. I’ve come away knowing more about myself by pushing my limits and also what I need to do to give myself the best chance of successfully crossing the Channel.’
On September 2nd 2020, I embarked on my swim across the channel. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but having spent many months listening to wise words and guidance from Kathy, Kevin and their amazing team, I really believed I had a good chance of success. 15 hours and 16 minutes later, I arrived in France! I put my success down to The King’s Swimmers who told me how far, how long and how much swimming I should be doing each week from when I did my qualifier with them in May. If Dover was closer to my home then they wouldn’t be able to get rid of me even though I’m not training for a specific event at the moment! They really are a very special team.
Sophie Brunt
I started training with The Kings Swimmers in May 2020 and have to say they are amazing! Such a wealth of knowledge between them, I felt I got the best advice on everything Channel related including feeding and support on the big day.
I have trained with The King’s Swimmers for my successful English channel crossing in 2020 as well as being guided by them in 2019 for a Loch Ness relay.
They have been incredibly flexible in tailoring training programmes to my own requirements.
My 2020 Channel Solo was a PB by nearly 4hrs and their unparalleled experience certainly helped play a part in that.
I look forward to working with them again for future swimming adventures.
Colin France
This camp should be on every channel swimmer’s training checklist. I went on The King’s Swimmers camp in April this year, I needed to obtain my 6 hour open water qualifier for my channel crossing booked for July.
Not only did I get an opportunity to complete two 6-hour open water swims (something that I haven’t seen available when looking into other camps) but I received expert coaching, go-pro surface and below surface filming and analysis to optimise my stroke, a night swim (imperative as a lot of a channel crossings start in the dark), seminar presentations on feeding and nutrition, tides and the variety of long distance swimming challenges available worldwide.
If you have a channel crossing or a big swim coming up this camp is a must as part of your training, if you don’t but you are passionate about open water swimming I would highly recommend it. The expertise, personal experience and knowledge on offer from the coaching team is second to none, have you seen who they are? It is clear from day one that safety is paramount but with the level of knowledge and expertise available you are able to push yourself as far as possible in your training knowing you are in safe hands. Aside from what is clearly an exceptional swim camp The King’s Swimmers provide breakfast and lunch each day, the location and accommodation has been researched well, it is perfect, clean, comfortable, plenty of hot water and self-catering so you can prepare as many bowls of pasta of an evening as you require, there are plenty of amenities for groceries within a couple of minutes walk. I spent hardly any money once I had arrived at the camp. Once you have booked really all you need to do is get there and swim, everything else is taken care of. All of the coaches are on hand and exceptionally approachable – there was a level of camaraderie in our camp that was really special and as nice as we all are I genuinely think that that kind of attitude filters down from the top and can be attributed to the coaching staff. I am in their debt.
Sophie
After years on different swim camps, becoming a channel swimmer in 2014, and knowing the King of the Channel for years, I learned that he and his swimmers built their own Menorca long distance swim camp. Eager to see what differentiated this camp from other’s I took before, I arriving at Arena del Castell April 3rd 2018. I immediately liked the location. Then, what actually happened during the swims exceled my expectations by far. Costal swims including a six hours swim on day three of the camp, swim technique advice in the pool that transformed into better performance in sea swims. I’m happy to share that my hourly swim performance measured by Germin increased in few days significantly: 15% faster while using 15% less strokes, same heart rate. Thanks to Kathy, Phil and Kevin.
Next year I’ll be back for more…
Peter
I learnt so much during the Menorca swim camp. Doing the English Channel qualifing 6hr swimming along the coast was beautiful. Lovely clear water. Around the light house you were able to see all the way down to the white sands.
Iain
Kathy and Kevin displayed boundless energy, organisational skills and tact when coaching our eight 16 year old girls to swim the English Channel in two 4 person relays and an 8 person relay who swam Lake Geneva.
Their motivation and passion for swimming was inspiring and transformed the eight separate girls who hadn’t met before into a very close winning team. Kathy and Kevin went way beyond the duty of what a regular coach would normally do.
If you are looking to improve your technique, increase your distance and have a long swim then I would highly recommend swimming with The Kings Swimmers.