Meet our Guides
Ricky Andrews
Swim history before SwimTrek
I started out as a competitive swimmer for Romford Town Swimming Club. I dive into their Master’s sessions every now and then when I get a few days back home. Over the last decade I’ve managed to travel much whilst working along the way. A variety of jobs eventually lead to swim guiding. Beach/ Pool Lifeguarding, Divemaster, Deckhand, Barman, Activities Manager / Assistant Manager of a Hotel, Ski Host. In 2015 I was part of the first group of swimmers to cross between Corfu and Mainland Greece in the Ionian Sea- 10.5km for Sail4cancer. In 2017 as a duo, I swam the 20km length of Kohr Asham in Oman. Very recently I’ve taken to Freediving which is holding your breath underwater.
Locations guided on
Greece- Cyclades, Sporades, Milos, Ionian and Crete. Turkey, Portugal. Sicilian Aeolean Islands, Sardinia, Tremiti.Islands, Mallorca LDT and 10km, Tenerife, Ibiza, Dalamtian Coast, Uglian and Kornati Islands. River Thames, B.V.I’s, Slovenia, Oman, Mexico, Galapagos.
Most memorable swim moment
The Greek Island of Kastellorizo. Or the Island of Meis to the Turkish. From Kas, on the Turkey trip you can get a short ferry journey across. Local boat pilots take trips to a cave on the south side of the island. On a calm day the pilots will bring the boats inside, with all guests lying down to squeeze underneath the rocks at the entrance. They often allow you a quick dip. The Blue Grotto is a cavern illuminated by the reflection of sunlight from outside which leaves a bizarre blue glow, the awe has to be experienced from the water. Swimming back to the port from the Blue Grotto in Meis has definitely been a highlight of my time with SwimTrek. On the way we’ve spotted turtles, underwater cliffs and all the while you can see Turkey or Asia across the way.
Top swimming tip
Sighting and preparation… grab some good quality goggles and look after them. Your comfort in the water is essential because you may well be in the water for some time. To save fidgeting, get a pair that you have tried and trust, plus have a spare set ready to go. When it comes to using them in the sea there will be no excuses. Give them a rinse with fresh water after every swim and defog when necessary. There are many types available now but preferably try something with a wide range of vision. You’ll see more in and out of the water which will be beneficial for speed and enjoyment.
Interesting fact
I’m a huge fan of caves. Don’t get me started on caves.
Trish Brennan
Swim history before SwimTrek
Rarely a day goes by when I don't get in the water. I love the buzz of open water swim races and the adventure of exploring the world from the water. I compete in the sport of lifesaving and love taking part in all water sports activities. I coach competitive youth swimmers, masters, open water swimmers and lifesaving groups. I also hosts video analysis swim sessions and am an experienced pool and beach lifeguard.
Locations guided on
Greece, Turkey, Sardinia, Mexico, Croatia, Finland (& Turkey and Croatia Short Swims)
Most memorable swim moment
Wategos to Main Beach, Byron Bay, Australia This is a favourite swim I’ve done hundreds of times but in March 2013 after 3 days of travelling from Ireland to Australia I had my most memorable swim here. On arrival I cycled straight to the beach. I walked in the sun to Wategos and had the loveliest swim with friends and a turtle back to Main Beach. Having braved the chilly Irish waters with wetsuit and hood while surfing all winter the balmy waters were bliss.
Top swimming tip
Tempo trainer A tempo trainer is a fantastic little machine for pool swimming. It is like a watch face that slips under your swim cap. You can set it to beat at different intervals. I try to be at the far end of the pool each time it beeps. It is very simple but the immediate feedback on your pace is a great motivation to try hard, particularly when training alone. I set the beeps 0.04 seconds faster each week which is barely noticeable but by the end of the year it should mean an 8 second improvement per 100 metres.
Interesting fact about you
If I were a book she would be an atlas. I love maps and travelling.
Kelly Gentry
Swim history before SwimTrek
I've spent 20+ years as a competitive pool swimmer in California reaching as far as the junior national level. As I transitioned into university, I switched to playing water polo and competing in Masters open water competitions, as pool swimming had lost the allure for a short while. I also have been a coach for 13 years, first focusing on teaching kids, but for the past 8 years have found that coaching adults in the Masters world has been even more rewarding. I also have a history as a water polo coach at the university level and spent my summers as a pool lifeguard for 10+ years.
Locations guided on
I have guided in the following locations: Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Mallorca Luxury Escapes, Mallorca Coaching, Brighton Swim Days. And no, I can't tell you which is my favorite because they really are all so different :)
Most memorable swim moment
I was on a 26-mile relay across Monterey Bay, California where we began at dawn when it was still dark, swam alongside sea lions, watched the sunrise, endured really rough seas, and within a mile of the finish encountered a great white shark and hundreds of jellyfish. We weren't able to finish the swim that day, which was disappointing, but we also witnessed the beauty of Mother Nature and learned that some swims don't always go your way, but there's always something you can take away from it.
(As a SwimTrek guide): Watching a former professional football player (who believed he could never compete again in a sport due to a severely damaged knee) show up on a Croatia Short Swims trip thinking he would try out this "swim" thing. He left with the biggest smile on his face and a new love for open water swimming with goals to enter into some short races back home.
Top swimming tip
Even as lifelong swimmers, we all have our days where we aren't having fun on a swim. It's okay to feel that way! If you do get in a slump, try to pick one thing to focus on rather than thinking, "I hate this. I'm cold., etc" Focus on your head position, count how many starfish you can see on the bottom, practice breathing on the opposite side, or get on the boat/beach and tell yourself "I'll try again tomorrow." If you're having an off day, try to make the best of it and always have fun and know when to stop yourself if you feel the need to.
Interesting fact about you
A non-aquatic related activity, but I can say I've ventured into horseback riding, cooking, and sewing.
Neil Drinkwater
Swim history before SwimTrek
I have always enjoyed swimming as an adult but never competitively. After going on my first SwimTrek holiday in 2009, I got hooked on the open water and following laser eye surgery swam Lake Zurich solo 2010. After this I became a guide, but I make sure I still go away as a punter at least once a year as well!
Locations guided on
Turkey, Sardinia & Montenegro. I've also been a guest in Egypt, Malta and Croatia.
Most memorable swim moment
Getting OUT of lake Zurich at the end of my swim!
Top swimming tip
Swim when you least feel like it - you will ALWAYS feel better afterwards.
Interesting fact about you
My birthday is exactly ten weeks to the day before Christmas.
Coll Faragher
Swim history before SwimTrek
When I was 9 years old I was fortunate enough to move to Cornwall with my family and so began the start of a long relationship with the sea. Surfing was my main interest as a teenager and it lead me into surf lifesaving and working on the beach as a Lifeguard for several seasons. Open water swimming is among the skill set I developed as a Lifeguard and on quiet days on the beach it was part of our training routine. I have also always enjoyed pool swimming as a way of staying fit in winter and I recently started playing underwater hockey, Octopush, which I would highly recommend. Swimming is at the core of and gives me the confidence to enjoy many of the other water based activities that I take part in such as scuba diving, surfing, coasteering, kayaking, sailing and snorkelling. I also work as Event Water Safety at some of the UK's largest participation swims such as The Dart 10k, Bournemouth Pier to pier and Around St Michael's Mount swims.
Most memorable swim moment
A few years ago I entered the Falmouth Castle to Castle swim, it was my first open water swim 'race'. It's a mile or so long swim across the mouth of the Fal estuary between Pendennis and St Mawes Castles. I had been training quite a bit with lots of sea swims and was feeing fairly fit but really had no clue about where my position would be during the swim. My memorable moment was the feeling of euphoria upon reaching the far shore and crossing the line, and about being really chuffed to later learn that I had completed the swim in 27:12. Whilst some take the swim more seriously than others (it being more about participation then results) I had come in at 12th male and 14th overall out of field of about 300 and was really pleased.
Top swimming tip
Look up! Find a way of incorporating regular effective sighting into your stoke. This will need to be adaptable in open water to allow for wind and waves but a slower swimmer that goes in a straight line may reach their goal sooner than a faster swimmer that snakes through the water to get there.
Interesting fact
In the summer holidays I run a Coasteering business in Cornwall. Coasteering is everything you always wanted to do at the seaside when you were a kid but were not allowed! We swim, climb and jump our way along the cliffs, play in the waves and explore sea caves.
Simon Murie
A solo English Channel Swimmer and swim coach, he still guides on some of the tours himself. Continuing his swimming adventures around the world, in 2009 Simon swam across the River Volta in Ghana and broke the Australian record for swimming across the Gibraltar Straits; in 2010 he swam to the Isle of Wight. He spends a lot of his time now scouting for new SwimTrek locations.
Simon founded SwimTrek, after spending many years organising open water swimming trips for himself and others. Originally from Australia, Simon lives in the UK and prior to SwimTrek, was working overseas in the mining industry.
He was introduced to open water early by both his mother and father. His most memorable open water swim was the Hellespont in Turkey, which he first completed in 2000.
John Lester
Swim history before SwimTrek
I have worked at various locations as a diver/superintendent, including the Middle and Far East and took any opportunity to swim in these places, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia. I qualified as an ASA Level 2 coach in 2000 and coached my local swimming club, also giving one to one lessons to adults in open water. I have competed in masters swimming competitions at local, UK and European level. With the growing popularity I qualified as a Level 2 triathlon coach and co founded our local triathlon club, coaching the swimmers in both pool and open water swimming.
Locations guided on
Mallorca, Oman
Most memorable swim moment
Swimming with the seals around the Farne Islands in Northumberland. Crossing the Firth of Forth as part of a Triathlon and winning 4 gold medals in Alicante at the Spanish Open Masters competition.
Top swimming tip
Practice bilateral breathing, it will pay big dividends in both stroke symmetry and the ability to change your rhythm to suit the sea conditions.
Saorla O'Donovan
Swim history before SwimTrek
I’ve spent every summer living on a beach and exploring all watersports from this vantage. I began swimming competitively at the age of eight and swam throughout University as well. As we had no official swimming team, I played waterpolo with University and kept up my training by dropping into sessions in my swimming club at home and with the local triathlon club. I began surf lifesaving a little later than my peers at 17 and loved it, especially the combination of so many facets such as swimming, running, international ski, paddleboarding and so on. I was already a beach lifeguard at this stage but surf lifesaving saw me beach lifeguard for five years and kept me highly motivated throughout. I train as an IRB driver (power boat rescue in surf) during the summer and volunteer at lifesaving and open water swimming events. I am a qualified Irish and Physical Education teacher and have spent the last two years working in Dubai as a PE and swimming teacher.
Most memorable swim moment
I’ll never forget my first competitive open water swim, my aunt running along the rocks cheering me on in Irish like a mad woman, trying not to laugh as I crossed the finish line in first place of the women.
Top swimming tip
Keep reaching until you find your perfect grip in the water.
Interesting fact
I love travelling (I’ve seen twelve countries in the last two years) and hope to do my first snow season next winter. I love to take photos of my travels!
Alex Balman
Swim history before SwimTrek
I started swimming at my local club at the age of 8, progressing through the squads and achieved over all county/regional age group champion at the age of 14 and became a national open qualifier by 15. I left my club at the age of 17 due to the pressures of college and working life and didn't return to the pool until I'd finished college and settled into a full time job, at this stage I was swimming for pleasure alongside running and rock-climbing. The years rolled on till at 32 I started longing for some direction to training and started looking at open water swimming. I decided to enter the Epic 1 mile swim in Ullswater and managed a respectable 10th in the Male open category, this good result spurred me on and I entered several events over the following years. As some of the events required SASA membership I joined a local club and found myself back in the pool and entering Masters swimming events.
I started coaching swimming in 2013 and now spend a lot of time coaching a local club and progressing my qualifications. I also enjoy sailing with my local yacht club and provide safety boat cover for the Dinghy races with boson responsibilities for the safety RIB.
Most memorable swim moment
Winning a bet with my swimming coach (he said I could never make the qualifying time) and competing in the Scottish Open Swimming championships in 2012.
Top swimming tip
Technique is key when swimming and even more so when training for distance swims. When you start out try to not be so concerned with pushing out the laps and spend some quality time working on your stroke technique. The biggest improvement I see that people can make is getting the catch position just right, your fingers should be the lowest point of your arm followed by your wrist, elbow then shoulder. Aim for this at the start of the catch and keep your elbow high throughout the whole stroke.
Interesting fact
I have a brewery in my garage and grow my own hops.
Mark Johnston
Swim history before SwimTrek
I started competitive swimming at age 5 on the west coast of the United States and “retired” at 17 when I became an exchange student in Sweden. After 25 years, I returned to the sport on a master’s team in 2002, and I found my calling in the open water. I developed such a love for swimming, that in 2008, I quit my corporate job to become a full-time instructor and coach: age-group, high school, and masters.
2008 was a BIG year, as I began to seriously train for an English Channel crossing as part of a relay. Part of our group’s training plan was to swim colder and longer events both as relays and solo swims including the Trans Tahoe Relay (11-miles), Maui Channel (11-miles), Portland Bridge Swim (12-miles), Slam The Dam (15-miles), Deer Creek (10-miles) and several lesser known 10-25K events and series. Unfortunately our English Channel relay was weathered out but that did not deter my love for marathon swimming.
In 2013, I had the good fortune to move to the beautiful shores of Flathead Lake in northwest Montana, the largest natural, freshwater lake west of the Mississippi (28 miles long x 15 miles wide). In addition to swimming, I have piloted for several notable open water swimmers including Sarah Thomas (80-mile Lake Powell swimmer) and Craig Lenning (four of the Ocean’s Seven) and hosted open water swimming clinics with Darren Miller (Ocean’s Seven).
Most memorable swim moment
In the winter of 2015, I was honoured by the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes and allowed to compete under the Flathead Nation Tribal Flag. As a non-native living on the Flathead Reservation in Northwest Montana, this is a unique privilege.
Top swimming tip
BABY SHAMPOO! I am always surprised when even experienced swimmers are not familiar with a simple trick to keep your goggles from fogging: baby shampoo and water. Soap disperses and defends against moisture. The “baby” shampoo won’t sting your eyes. I recommend a few drops of baby shampoo in a small squirt bottle and topped off with water. Carry the bottle around in your swim bag and squirt a little into each goggle lens prior to swimming. Rinse out the solution just before putting the goggles on, and you’re good-to-go!
Interesting fact
I am the defending United States ICE Swimming and Scandinavian WINTER Swimming Champion!
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