William Ellis: Why We Come to the Water

Why do people come to the water, and what keeps them returning?

In this episode, I’m joined by William Ellis: open-water swimmer, marathon swim coach, actor, voice artist, and host of An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast. Through his own swimming journey and hundreds of conversations with swimmers from around the world, Will has developed a unique perspective on resilience, community, personal growth, and the role the water can play in helping us navigate life's challenges.

Our conversation explores:

• Developing mastery when progress feels slow
• What acting and swimming can teach us about resilience
• Confidence, uncertainty and taking on ambitious challenges
• How swimming helped Will navigate grief and adversity
• The importance of community and connection in open-water swimming
• What Will has learned from interviewing swimmers from all walks of life
• Why people come to the water, and what they find there

We also discuss Will's successful English Channel crossing, his circumnavigation swims of Jersey, his preparation for a 70 km lengthwise swim of Lake Geneva, and the charitable work supporting his son Odie's specialist school.

Find out more about Will

🌊 An Open Water Swimmer's Podcast https://owswimpod.com 

🎙️ William Ellis https://www.williamhenryellis.com 

🏊‍♂️ Open Water Swimming profile https://www.openwaterswimming.com/actor-and-open-water-swimmer-will-ellis-raises-funds-for-charity-through-podcast-and-solo-swims/ 

❤️ Lake Geneva fundraiser supporting Odie's specialist SEND school https://www.justgiving.com/page/william-ellis-lake-geneva?newPage=true 

Enjoyed this episode?

If you found this conversation valuable, share it with a training partner or someone in your swimming or triathlon community.

You can also follow The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming on Facebook and Instagram for more episodes, insights and updates.

https://www.instagram.com/scienceandartofows/  (@scienceandartofows)

This interview was recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. I acknowledge the Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of these lands and waters and pay my respects to Elders past and present.