Shelley Taylor-Smith, the keynote speaker at the Open Water Swimming Safety Conference was able to reflect on the plethora of information and people from the open water swimming world who were in San Francisco, “It was important to have a wide scope of experience because nothing can replace the experience when it comes to safety and protecting our athletes in the sport.”

“I talked about being a champion in open water safety [in my speech]. The champion mindset includes preparation, commitment and priorities for that particular area. Never compromise. There are no details that you can ignore. You share your knowledge and your winning formula with others. Not just elite athletes, but everyone..”

She talked about having the right people. “People have a passion. They share their knowledge. They are not hiding their knowledge and secrets to themselves. Collaboration is the key. Share your passion with people who are coming into the sport.”

And the conference had the right people. When marathon swimming was being discussed, the experience on the panel was simply overwhelming.

7-time world professional marathon swimming champion Paul Asmuth (above) joined Dover Solo author Marcia Cleveland (above), Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean General Manager Eric Juneau (in blue) and Shelley, another 7-time world professional marathon swimming champion discussing everything from preparation against hypothermia to selection of one’s escort crew.

Video of these panel discussions will soon be made available at the U.S. Masters Swimming website.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source