New Format Begins

Tonight marked the start of the next phase of Swim Through Darkness.

From here, the swims move to a weekly format, with the campaign continuing throughout the year. I entered the water just after sundown. The conditions were cold and unsettled, but appropriate for my half mile swim objective.

This shift isn’t about easing the work. It’s about making the campaign sustainable.

Over the past month, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to give both the swimming and the wider campaign the attention they deserve while maintaining the rest of my life and training. A weekly format allows the ritual to remain demanding, while making space for consistency, recovery, and the ongoing development of the work around it. It also spreads the campaign out allowing more reach and more opportunity to potentially help.

During December, I also released a small number of downloads connected to the campaign. They’ve been accessed and shared more than I expected. That tells me something simple but important: some people are finding this useful. That alone is reason enough to continue.

Those who’ve followed the project for a long time will remember that I used to share GPS charts from every swim. I still record every session, I have done since the campaign began in 2020, but I’ve decided not to publish them routinely anymore.

There have been occasions where people have been present near entry points while I was preparing to swim. That introduces an unnecessary level of risk, including the possibility of emergency services being contacted when there is no emergency. For obvious reasons, that’s not something I’m willing to invite.

The work continues, but with clearer boundaries.

The format has changed. The intent hasn’t.