Sean Conway ‘Hell and High Water’ book review

If you’ve ever quaked with fear at the start of an open-water swim, reading this book will probably reassure and terrify you in equal measure.

>>> Eight ways to beat open-water nerves

It tells the story of extreme-adventurer Sean Conway’s attempt to swim the length of Britain from Land’s End to John O’Groats – approximately 900 miles.

The only problem? He wasn’t a particularly good swimmer. He freely admits that he did all his training in the local pool and at first “was so awful I had to get out after 10 lengths because I felt dizzy and nauseous”.

The rest of the book is a humorous and inspirational account of his trip, taken with the support of a tiny crew, a tiny boat, a too-big wetsuit and a massive, jellyfish-repelling ginger beard.

If you like all things swim- and sea-related then this book’s got it all. There’s even an unwanted guest appearance from a shark – pretty impressive given the location of his swim!

Verdict: The man’s a hero, even if his story did give us nightmares, 85%

Contact : www.eburypublishing.co.uk

Helen Webster Editor, 220 Triathlon

About

Helen has been 220's Editor since July 2013, when she made the switch from marathons to multisport. She's usually found open-water swimming and has competed in several swimruns as well as the ÖtillÖ World Series. Helen is a qualified Level 2 Open-Water Swim Coach focusing on open-water confidence and runs regular workshops at the South West Maritime Academy near Bristol. She is also an RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguard trainer/assessor.