Rough Drafts

Swimming, cold water, and a bunch of awesome veterans.

I was a kayaker this morning for a group of veterans swimming from Alcatraz to SF. It was a great morning… Beautiful, flat water, warm… And a bunch of men and women hauling ass through the water. Including guys missing limbs but swimming just the same. It was pretty cool. Before the swim I was […]
Dylan Tweney 1 min read
Swimming, cold water, and a bunch of awesome veterans.
Me, in a kayak.

I was a kayaker this morning for a group of veterans swimming from Alcatraz to SF. It was a great morning… Beautiful, flat water, warm… And a bunch of men and women hauling ass through the water. Including guys missing limbs but swimming just the same. It was pretty cool.

Before the swim I was talking with a vet about the virtues of cold water. In addition to its beneficial effects on the immune system, blood thickness, endorphins, and testosterone levels, I pointed out how cold water swimming really settles my nervous system down. It calms me and levels me out. Now I don’t have PTSD, but the guy pointed out that this effect might be really beneficial for combat veterans, many of whom have stress through the roof. Pretty interesting thought.

He was a photographer for the swim, so he rode in a boat. But he’s thinking about doing the swim next year.

crossposted from Facebook
September 25, 2016 at 07:38PM

Share
Comments
More from Dylan Tweney - Storylines

Storylines

Subscribe to my newsletter on writing & storytelling

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to Dylan Tweney - Storylines.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.