Summary with the vocab in bold

Chloe McCardel is an Australianopen waterswimmer who ison the verge ofbreaking a world record. She has swumthe English Channel43 times and is planning on swimming it again in a few weeks. If she succeeds, she will have swum it more times than anyone else in the world ever. In the interview, she tells us that when she was 19 shemade up her mindthat she wanted to be the best in the world at something. She tried triathlonsand running marathons but it wasn’t until she swum a marathon that she realised she hadfound her groove.

The English Channel is ‘themeccaof open swimming’ and it was 'the birth place for marathon swimming’. It was first swum in 1875 and since then swimmers have beendrawnby the difficulties - dealing with the cold, swimming over the waves and navigatingn one of the busiest shippinglanesin the world.

She loves the fact that you are notconfinedby rules when you are swimming in rivers, lakes or oceans. She feelsnurturedby the water and believes that swimming the Channel gives you a sense ofempowermentand achievement as well as buildingresilienceand confidence.

Asked what she thinks about during the 11 hour swim and she says that eating cake and otheryummythings is ago-tothought. She also makesto-dolists, visualises looking back over thehorizonwhen she has finished her swim and simply enjoys and appreciates the beauty ofsunrisesandsuchlikethat exist in the present moment.

Summary without the vocab in bold

Chloe McCardel is an Australian open water swimmer who is on the verge of breaking a world record. She has swum the English Channel 43 times and is planning on swimming it again in a few weeks. If she succeeds, she will have swum it more times than anyone else in the world ever. In the interview, she tells us that when she was 19 she made up her mind that she wanted to be the best in the world at something. She tried triathlons and running marathons but it wasn’t until she swum a marathon that she realised she had found her groove.

The English Channel is ‘the meca of open swimming’ and it was 'the birth place for marathon swimming’. It was first swum in 1875 and since then swimmers have been drawn by the difficulties - dealing with the cold, swimming over the waves and navigating one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

She loves the fact that you are not confined by rules when you are swimming in rivers, lakes or oceans. She feels nurtured by the water and believes that swimming the Channel gives you a sense of empowerment and achievement as well as building resilience and confidence.

Asked what she thinks about during the 11 hour swim and she says that eating cake and other yummy things is a go-to thought. She also makes to-do lists, visualises looking back over the horizon when she has finished her swim and simply enjoys and appreciates the beauty of sunrises and suchlike that exist in the present moment.

Glossary

open water

Water in a natural environment as opposed to water in a swimming pool

on the verge of

When someone is about to do something

The English Channel

The sea between the south coast of England and the north coast of France

made up her mind

If someone makes up their mind, they decide on something

triathlons

A type of race that involves swimming, running and cycling over a long distance.

found her groove

To discover what you are very good at, especially in sport or music

Mecca

A place that a lot of people visit because it is famous for something they want to do or see

To be drawn to something

To be pulled in a particular direction, attracted by something

navigating

To find your way through a difficult way

lanes

A particular part of the sea (usually in a straight line) that is used for ships

confined

When someone can only move in a particular area

nurtured

To be looked after/cared for

empowerment

A feeling of power

resilience

The ability that people have to become strong again after experiencing something difficult

yummy

Food that is very tasty

go-to

The thing that someone/people choose over other choices

to-do lists

Lists that people make of things that they need to get done.

Horizon

The line that you see in the distance where the sky meets the sea/earth

sunrises

When the sun comes up in the morning

suchlike

Used for referring to things that are similar to what you have just mentioned

Questions

  1. Do you like swimming? Why? Why not?

  2. Do you like open water swimming? Do you like swimming pools?

  3. Have you ever swum in very very cold water? if so, where were you?

  4. When did you learn to swim? Who taught you?

  5. Do you think you would like to train to swim the English Channel?