Meet our Guides
Cliff Golding
Swim history before SwimTrek
In the autumn of 1991 I decided I wanted to swim the Channel. This was an odd decision as I was a skinny marathon runner with no previous experience as a swimmer save for a bronze certificate. Six attempts and five years later I finally succeeded. I did it again in 2003 and, in the six years until that second swim, I swam round Jersey three times, Lake Zurich three times and Windermere twice. I am running marathons and ultras again but have dusted off the Speedos and am back in the pool.
Locations guided on
2018 will be the eleventh year I have guided on the LDT tours and I have guided on the 10km weeks since they started in 2016. I have also guided on the Greek Cyclades in 2018.
Most memorable swim moment
Walking out onto Wissant Beach in France 13 hours and 17 minutes after I had walked into the sea off Shakespeare Beach in Dover to finally become a Channel swimmer. It remains my most memorable and most empowering moment in open water swimming.
Top swimming tip
When you think you can't, you can. When you think you are at the end of your ability and endurance, you aren't. Swim, swim and swim some more until you run out of sea or lake. Then you may stop and bask in the glory of your achievement.
Interesting fact about you
I write, I make art, I juggle, I used to ride a unicycle for fun, whilst juggling (but I also fell off a lot - so I don't do it anymore!)
Peter Carr
Swim history before SwimTrek
37 Seasons as a beach lifeguard in West Cornwall.
Locations guided on
Croatia Dalmatian Coast, Croatia Short Swims and Montenegro.
Top swimming tip
High elbows!
Most memorable swim moment
Accidentally stepping into deep water in a rock pool when I was 4.
Interesting fact about you
Dual nationality English/Australian due to being born in Australia
Huseyin Dermis
Swim history before SwimTrek
Being brought up on the southern cost of Turkey, snorkelling, spear fishing, and swimming in the med was what I would do whole thorough the long summer, getting up at 6 am before the crowds hit the beach.
I was in my late 20's when I swam in a swimming pool for the first time.
I started swimming with a master's club when I moved to London; that was the first time I began thinking about technique. Then I came across Shaw Method which rekindled my love for swimming.
Since 2005 I have been teaching swimming in London. I started working for Swimtrek in 2010 after being on one of their trips as a guest. I loved the way we were looked after by the guides.
Locations guided on
I have guided in Sicily, learning the ropes from Maestro Francesco, Turkey, Egypt, Lake District, Mallorca Coaching, St Kitts and Nevis, and at the Hellespont swim event.
Most memorable swim moment
Swimming from the small Greek island Kastellorizo to Kas in Turkey was highly enjoyable.
Top swimming tip
It has to be relaxation, relaxation, and relaxation. Loosen up those shoulders, neck muscles, and you'll go a long way.
Interesting fact about you
As a kid, I was good at catching fish with my bare hands, honest!
Neil Bowers
A relatively late convert to open water swimming, Neil has competed nationally and internationally at swimming and waterpolo, captaining the England waterpolo team to a Bronze medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
A qualified and experienced swim coach, Neil has built up a wealth of open water expertise over the last few years working on many Swimtrek destinations. Often to be found swimming in the cooler waters of the Lake District, North Sea and West coast of UK.
Dionne Tatlow
Swim history before SwimTrek
Growing up I always gravitated towards water activities and spent the majority of my summers at the lake, and then taking swimming lessons throughout the winter. I began recreationally lane swimming during my undergraduate degree and then started training with a Masters team in Toronto while in Chiropractic College. During my time in Toronto I completely fell in love with swimming and have since immersed myself in all facets of the sport; from treating swimmers, coaching, organizing a local race, and of course, spending endless hours in the water myself!
Most memorable swim moment
Perhaps my first SwimTrek swim! In the Aeolian Islands we swam along the coast of Vulcano and I couldn’t stop smiling. The scenery was gorgeous, the water was unbelievably blue, and the group was a lot of fun. I got out of the water and the only thing I managed to verbalize was “I’m so happy, just so, so happy!” I said it so much that it became a running joke throughout the trip!
Top swimming tip
One-armed and balance-driven drills are very effective. They do a fantastic job of highlighting and correcting asymmetries in strength and mobility while engaging the core; all of which are very important factors for efficiency and injury prevention.
Interesting fact
I live 236km from the nearest pool, but only 30m from a big, beautiful freshwater lake. It makes for a long winter with a lot of driving, but in the summer I can swim home from work!
Keith Willox
Swim history before Swim Trek:
During a 30 year career as a Wing Commander in the RAF I was able to swim in some interesting locations from the Falkland Islands to Baghdad. I was part of the RAF’s Channel Swim Squad that set records for swimming from Belgium to England. Gibraltar to Morocco and round-Jersey. I also promoted and organised the Inter Services Open Water Competition at Lake Bala for the RN, Army and RAF for 20 years.
Locations guided on
Croatia-Privic , Durdle Door , Thames , Cornwall & Isles of Scilly & Tremiti.
Most memorable swim moment
Swimming with penguins on Christmas Day in the Falkland Islands. Chilly but exciting.
Top swimming tip
When swimming in the sea for more than 20 minutes always grease up to prevent chaffing. Keep your goggles spotlessly clean with a drop of detergent to prevent fogging. Never confuse the two!
Interesting fact
I was born and brought up in Zambia where I learnt to swim before I could walk.
Bruce Allender
Swim history before SwimTrek
I had the privilege of learning to swim at the Colombo Swimming Club in Sri Lanka and enjoyed the tropical ambiance. Good fortune continued with an adolescence in Perth, Western Australia, swimming in the river, ocean, and pool playing water polo, club swimming, life saving and SCUBA diving. Along the way I qualified with a Diploma from the RLSS, and as a competition swimming event official. I kept swimming with masters swimming in the USA and back in Australia, despite the encumbrance of a corporate career. Now with the flexibility of project consultancy work, I compete, coach and train coaches of masters swimming in Melbourne and still officiate at swim meets. A work-life balance that works for me.
Locations guided on
Three seasons working in Croatia, Turkey, and on the UK Corryvreckan, Lake District, Seven Sisters and Brighton tours and programs.
Most memorable swim moment
SwimTrek just makes life better. All the trips have been memorable, because of the people, the good times in and out of the water, and the locations. One particular memory at the Corryvreckan whirlpool I was informed by a guest this was the first time she had swum in the sea. I swam along with her and we both made it comfortably.
Top swimming tip
To really enjoy open water swimming you just need two things: a positive attitude – I can do this, I have prepared for it; and swim goggles that are comfortable, ones that don’t leak and that are pre-tested by you. They are your best friend, so wash, clean and love them (and bring a spare).
Interesting fact
I am always open to new experiences and new people, just about anywhere but preferably with a pool or beach nearby.
Tellervo Maukonen
Swim history before SwimTrek
I've been swimming as long as I can remember, but my obsession with open water swimming really started in 2011 when I went on my first SwimTrek trip to the Greek Cyclades as a guest. Skip to 2013 (via two more SwimTrek LDTs, a Windermere swim, a couple of Channel Relays, and a solo English Channel swim) when I decided to devote my life to swimming and qualified as a swimming teacher and SwimTrek Guide. I am from Finland originally but I've been based in the UK since 1998.
Locations guided on
Croatia (Dalmatian Coast & Kornati Islands); Mallorca (Coaching, LDT, & Short Escape); Greece (Cyclades & Milos); Lakes of Lithuania; River Thames; Durdle Door; Lake Bled & the Slovenian Alps; Baja Peninsula, Mexico; The Maldives; The Galapagos Islands
Most memorable swim moment
The final few arm pulls before scrambling onto a dry boulder at Cap Gris Nez.
Top swimming tip
Think up songs in your head that match the rhythm of your swim, and sing them while you swim, it's good fun and it helps to fight the demons that creep out of the cold and the fatigue. I'm pretty sure it's also a jellyfish deterrent, but the evidence on that is merely anecdotal, and really quite patchy, it may just be my singing that scares them away...
Interesting fact
When I'm not in the water, I'm thinking about it. I was also the first Finnish Woman to swim the English Channel.
Marlys Cappaert
Swim history before SwimTrek
My mother’s requirements for ‘graduating from home’ included being able to swim. No family outing was without a stop at a lake, a waterfall, a rapid, or at the very least, a motel with a pool. I've been in the water ever since. I coach and swim with a US Master’s Team in Oregon. We’re always looking for open water adventures, currently on a long-term quest to swim across all 200 large lakes in Oregon. My mother taught me well, no vacation is without an epic swim, such as Maui, Lake Tahoe, Alcatraz, and The Great Lakes. My first SwimTrek was in Greece and I knew then I wanted to be a guide. After subsequent trips to Croatia and BVI, I realized my dream and guided in Turkey. It was the best month of my life. It gives me tremendous pleasure to enable others to enjoy the magic of the open water.
Locations guided on
Turkey, Mallorca, Greece, Lithuania, Galapagos, River Canyons Arizona
Most memorable swim moment
My next swim
Top swimming tip
Attention to core strength will promote good body position. A core-driven stroke will enable you to establish a strong relaxed rhythm in the water.
Interesting fact about me
I built the house I live in.
Anna Wardley
Swim history before SwimTrek
I love the freedom and calmness that comes with swimming in the sea especially over long distances – it gives a rare and precious opportunity to switch off and enjoy being in nature. I took up swimming when I was 31 with a mission to swim the English Channel. I didn’t make it on my first attempt less than a year later, but being pulled out and hospitalised with hypothermia and exhaustion after 14 hours taught me more about myself than any other swim I’ve done since. I made it across the Channel on my second attempt and went on to swim various international stretches including the Strait of Gibraltar and the Hellespont Channel. In 2012 I embarked on my Five Island Swim Challenge which included solo swims around Jersey and Portsea, and culminated with a 56-mile swim around the Isle of Wight. My latest project, the Balearic Swim Challenge, to swim between the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland ended abruptly in May 2016 when I was rushed ashore from the Menorca Channel in a lifeboat after being stung unconscious by jellyfish. After ten years of endurance swimming during which time I’ve raised around £70,000 for charities, I’m now focusing my energies on coaching and helping other people to reach their potential both in and out of the water.
Locations guided on
Mallorca LDT. I enjoy being part of the Mallorca LDT team as I love to support others in achieving their goals and pushing themselves to exceed their own expectations. I also enjoy sharing my experience of organising my own swims and logistics, fundraising and sponsorship, learning from unsuccessful attempts and helping people to find their own way of preparing for challenging swims.
Most memorable swim moment
A memorable moment was finishing my swim around the Isle of Wight in September 2013 surrounded by a flotilla of boats and cheering crowds, I was the fourth person to complete the feat and the first in almost three decades, and it was an incredible feeling for all the hard work to pay off. Overwhelmed by relief when I finally punched Ryde Pier to mark my finish after swimming non-stop for over 26 hours, I nearly broke my hand and came out with something deemed so explicit by the TV crews that they had to chop it out of their broadcasts!
Top swimming tip
For long distance swimmers I always say keeping a sense of humour is a priority. If you can’t laugh at yourself eating rice pudding out of a Ziplock bag in the pitch darkness in the middle of a lengthy stretch of water with waves breaking over your head then you should probably take up a different sport.
Interesting fact about you
I swam two lengths of Windermere topless after the elastic failed in my swimsuit at the beginning of the swim and as a result I hold the record for the first Topless Double Windermere!
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