Women OPEN the WATER

Join us in the Boston area for a day dedicated to open water swimming. Five women, each with her own powerful set of experiences in the sport, will host talks and practical lessons about some of the most important parts of an open water journey. We will be at the beautiful Keohane Sports Center at Wellesley College. See links for additional information about our probable guests.

*10:00 doors open

*10:15-12:15

Take to the water in Wellesley’s beautiful Chandler Pool with Jennifer Dutton Warm up, then work on drills emphasizing. timing, balance, and efficiency, paying special attention to skills which help swimmers develop an all-day stroke. This is a great time of year to start thinking about your Summer 2026 plans, so the idea is to give swimmers cues and suggestions they can implement over the winter as they train indoors.

Then, Talk. 1:00-5:30. (Meeting Room). Snacks and hydrations will be available throughout the afternoon. Topics listed here are general ideas- we might digress...

 Elizabeth Fry is one of the true pioneers of our sport. She’ll talk about what makes women so strong in Open Water and when we can call ourselves an “Athlete.

 Laurie Craigen is an expert on the Fear Factor. Do we have to get rid of fear, or can we learn to take it with us? Learn some strategies for emotion-management.

Elaine Kornbau Howley has seen OW swimming from every angle. She can talk about how there absolutely is a TEAM involved in every solo endeavor, and about the importance of detail-management for success

Jennifer Downing has made a successful transition from pool to OW and will discuss whether anyone is “too slow” or if it even matters. Can pool and OW both be part of a swimmer’s repertoire?

Resilience Round Table all five women will share how they find the strength to tackle big projects and to rebound after unplanned “events.”