Women Open Water Swimming Event for International Women’s Day 2021

An event held on 8th March 2021 hosted by the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London for International Women’s Day 2021. A growing number of women are turning to open water swimming to enjoy a vibrant community, getting back to nature and the health benefits.

On the panel were:

• Professor Joyce Harper – Institute for Women’s Health at University College London, author of Your Fertile Years and a novice open water swimmer.
• Professor Sasha Roseneil – University College London, Pro-Vice-Provost (Equity and Inclusion), Dean of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences and Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science
• Jessica Hepburn – Fertility advocate, founder of Fertility Fest, channel swimmer and author of 21 Miles
• Dr Heather Massey – University of Portsmouth, a channel swimmer and ice 1km swimmer and currently researching the physiology of cold water swimming and its impacts on physical and mental health
• Dr Ruth Williamson – Radiologist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Dorset, a channel relay and winter swimmer with research interests in the health benefits and risk management of cold water swimming
• Rachel Ashe – Founder of Mental Health Swims, a community that empowers people of all body shapes, age, colour, background, gender, sexuality and ability.