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A competitive swimmer-turned photographer has shared how taking a deep dive into his old passion soothed his stresses and changed his mentality, resulting in a new body of work.
Last summer, Danny Richardson spontaneously joined fellow artists Jason Butler, Will Bertram, Ben Robertson and Sam Carney - together, 'The Salty Sea Pups' - for a swim in the sea.
“A close group of friends regularly set themselves mental and physical challenges and the latest one that arose was sea swimming,” Danny explained.
“I used to swim competitively when I was younger so part of me was confident that I could rise to the challenge whilst another part of me was nervously excited by the challenge of the extreme cold and rawness of the sea.
“Whilst I swam in the sea at various points throughout the summer with my six-year-old daughter, I consider the starting point of this sea swimming challenge as 17 November 2020, this was the first time I was going into the sea not as a break from the heat of summer, but as a psychological and physiological challenge - an experiment to see whether I could do it and how it would make me feel.”
Pictured: 'The Salty Sea Pups', from left, Ben Robertson, Will Bertram, Jason Butler and Sam Carney.
Danny admits that one of his first thoughts when getting into the water was, ‘Am I mad?!'
However, he said he was inspired to incorporate some of ex-Navy Seal David Goggins’ - whose book 'Can't Hurt Me' he says is “an absolute must-read” - mentality into his own daily practice.
“This past year has been tough for everyone and I felt as though I needed to install some much-needed discipline and routine into my life to help me deal with what life throws at us all,” Danny said.
Pictured: Danny considers the water his "natural habitat".
“He speaks of doing something every day that you don't like doing to callous your mind and to find comfort in the uncomfortable, this is how we grow and that's certainly something that I felt that I needed to do.”
Having swam competitively as a child, Danny has since been back in the water regularly as an adult and considers the water, whether it’s a pool or the sea, his “natural habitat."
“However, the big difference between the pool and the sea is that whilst the pool is quite a sterile and predictable environment, the sea is anything but,” he said.
Pictured: "It may sound like hell to some, but it is a truly magical experience".
“I love nature and the rawness of the elements. It is ever-changing, and the same location can be a totally different experience from one day to the next.
“Mentally, there is something incredibly powerful about the sea and in particular, the cold. No matter what thoughts or stresses you might be dealing with, the second you enter a 10-degree sea, your mind is totally clear... You can think of nothing else but the present... You are entering a kind of primordial survival mode where nothing else matters.
“You focus on your breathing and your immediate surroundings... it may sound like hell to some, but it is a truly magical experience.”
What started as a summer activity carried on into the winter and Danny now also regularly swims with the ‘Bluebells’, who regularly get together at St. Aubin and welcomed him to join them at 09:00 every morning.
“It's amazing and inspiring to see the diversity of people who get involved, there's a great camaraderie and everyone seems to look out for each other which is essential for what can be a potentially dangerous activity,” he said.
Pictured: Danny has been photographing fellow sea swimmers.
While he originally got in the water as a way to escape daily life, Danny soon incorporated his beloved camera into the mix, sea-sing the day.
“When I first began this experiment, I did not really think about taking photos, if anything it was all about an escape from normal life,” Danny said.
“However, by day 27, I got the camera out and realised that I was in a unique position in that I had the power to capture a 'behind-the-scenes' glimpse into the reality of winter sea swimming - showing both the natural beauty and power of the sea and Jersey's incredible shoreline as well as the personalities of those brave souls who were willing to explore it for themselves.
“The trickiest part, as I also found with snowboarding, is that I enjoy the activity so much that taking photos can be a bit of a distraction. As a result, I feel like I've really only scratched the surface of what I can capture photographically, which is quite exciting as I feel there is a lot more to come.”
Pictured: “It's amazing and inspiring to see the diversity of people who get involved," Danny said.
Danny says he’s found his “new love by returning to his old love” and has even accepted an invitation to swim the English Channel as part of a relay team later on this year.
He has been sharing updates on his swimming journey on his blog and is offering portraits to local sea swimmers in exchange of a donation to the JSPCA as part of his upcoming relay swim. So far, the group has raised £1,275 towards their £4,500 target.
“If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that we must, 'seas the day'!”
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