SUBMERJ swim, founded in 2021 to help people reconnect with the water and rebuild confidence after time away from the pool during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as a passion project alongside a career in swim teaching has grown into a supportive space for swimmers of all backgrounds and abilities.
At its core, SUBMERJ is built on the belief that swimming is a life skill and not a luxury. Yet for many people, cost, confidence or past experience creates a barrier to participation. SUBMERJ exists to remove those barriers and provide a clear, practical pathway for anyone to start, whether you are returning after a long break or starting from scratch to feel safer, stronger and more comfortable in the water.
Unlike athlete‑focused platforms, SUBMERJ is designed for everyday swimmers. It’s for people swimming solo, those looking for encouragement and swimmers who want their sessions to feel more purposeful. The emphasis is on personal progress and not performance.
Currently the community is growing through fitness‑led initiatives such as the ‘River Thames distance challenge’. The idea is to swim, run, walk, or cycle the equivalent distance to the entire River Thames. The Challenge is split into three parts so you can do the challenge solo or in a group. Participants can purchase the challenge through the website. Inside the challenger box there will be 3x finishing medals and progress cards to track your movements to reach the goal for each medal. This approach turns fitness into something tangible and habit‑forming rather than a one‑off challenge.
Alongside this, SUBMERJ is testing demand through local market stalls, using direct, face‑to‑face conversations to better understand what people actually need and want from swimming support. These insights are helping shape the offering as it evolves.
Future plans include launching online swimming coaching and session plans. Structured session plans will allow swimmers to train independently while still benefiting from professional guidance, bridging the gap until in‑person lessons are more widely available.
Looking ahead, SUBMERJ aims to offer adult swimming lessons that are genuinely inclusive, welcoming individuals of all abilities and adapting to a wide range of physical, sensory, and learning needs. The focus is on accessibility, comfort and personal progress, making swimming a positive experience for everyone.
Ultimately, SUBMERJ is building a scalable, community‑driven swimming platform that supports people not just to learn to swim but to be persist with their swimming journey.
