Writer, adventurer and alum Lindsey Cole (Politics With Geography BA, 2004) has written Swimming with Strangers, a memoir inspired by a six-month journey across Britain and Ireland.
The memoir tells Lindsey’s story of a life-changing journey that began in 2018 after she completed a plastic-awareness campaign that saw her swim the River Thames dressed as a mermaid. On the way, she rescued a drowning cow – an experience she later turned into her first children’s book, The Mermaid and the Cow. She now has a series of environmental themed mermaid picture books.
Lindsey has spent many years of her life adventuring. Following the swim in the Thames, she decided it was time to settle down, but she didn’t know where. Her experience swimming the Thames ended up in a national newspaper, and from there gained a lot of traction. Strangers started inviting her to stay and swim with them, which led to a brand-new adventure. She took people up on their offer, cycling her way towards the inaugural Scottish Winter Swimming Championship. What was meant to be two ended up being six months.
During the journey, Lindsey cycled thousands of miles, swam in more than 200 locations and met over 1,000 people, all while searching for a place to call home.
A fascinating journey of self-discovery and community, Lindsey decided to share her experiences in a memoir. Swimming with Strangers is her first adult book.
When discussions turned to the cover design, Lindsey immediately thought of Debbie.
Lindsey met Debbie Lawrence (Multi Media Textiles BA, 2002) during her first year at Loughborough when Debbie was a finalist studying art. After studying at Loughborough and building a career in styling, Debbie became an independent artist during lockdown. Now based in Brighton, much of her vibrant work is inspired by swimmers, the sea and coastal life.
The collaboration proved a natural fit, with Debbie creating the cover artwork by hand and helping bring Lindsey's story to life.
The book is now available for pre-order and is a lovely combination of Lindsey’s adventures and Debbie’s artwork.
Swimming with Strangers will be released on 5 November. Find out more about Lindsey’s adventures online.