Supermodel and British Gas ambassador Jodie Kidd has really caught the swimming bug.
Jodie, a well known personality in the UK and further afield following her TV appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear, hadn’t done any outdoor swimming until she signed up for the 2010 British Gas Great London Swim.
But after recording a great time of 40 minutes for the one-mile open water challenge at the Royal Victoria Dock near the ExCel centre in London’s East End, Jodie is a confirmed fan.
What’s more, she’s determined to take part in more events in the British Gas Great Swim series and has targeted this year’s British Gas Great North Swim at Windermere on September 4 and 5.
The 31-year-old, who has modelled for Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent and appeared on the covers of magazines around the world, geared up for the London Swim with a special lesson from British Olympic medallist Dave Davies.
Jodie said: “I’ve never really done any outside swimming before and so it was great to get a lesson off Dave. He gave me lots of great tips about staying calm in the water, how to keep looking up to see where you are going, how to ensure you breathe the right way and why you should use your arms to do all the swimming while saving your legs for the latter stages.
“It really was invaluable advice and helped a lot. I love a challenge and so this was a great event for me.
“The British Gas Great Swim series is fantastic: I’m a huge fan. The atmosphere was amazing at the London Swim. I’ve never seen so many swimmers gathered together all in their wetsuits with the one sense of purpose. Sport is brilliant for bringing people together in that way.
“I’m looking forward to taking part in one of the forthcoming events and would particularly like to have a go at the British Gas Great North Swim at Windermere. It’s such a beautiful setting; it would be incredible to swim there.”
Jodie swam in the 9am wave at London – one of 16 waves on the day, each consisting of around 300 swimmers – and was delighted with her time as she had been aiming to complete the course in under an hour.
Jodie also attracted quite a bit of media attention at Royal Victoria Dock, being interviewed by TV crews and a raft of journalists.
She’s also no stranger to adventure, having completed the 2009 Gumball Rally – a coast-to-coast road trip across America – and raced Jeremy Clarkson around the Top Gear race track.