A phenomenological exploration of the experiences of channel swimmers.

摘要

Channel swimming is a rapidly growing ultra endurance sport that captures the attention and interest of others. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of channel swimmers using phenomenological methods. Interviews were conducted with thirteen individuals who had successfully completed an official channel crossing of over twenty miles within the two years prior to the interview. An inductive content analysis yielded 2,028 meaning units that were grouped into sub-themes and themes (Cote et al., 1993). Through this process, seven dimensions emerged that captured the participants' experiences of channel swimming, including: How I Got Started, Why I Did It, My Preparation, My Support, Immediately Before My Swim, My Channel Swim, and After My Swim. The themes from each dimension are presented and discussed, followed by practical applications and proposed areas of future research.