Although Simonetta enjoyed the occasional outdoor swim before the pandemic, it wasn’t until lockdown that she realised how beneficial it could be for her mental health. “Being cooped up at home I suddenly had this absolute need to be around cold water,” she says. “I started having cold showers, then went to the beach and local ponds as soon as I could.” In the summer of 2021 she was accepted as a member at the Serpentine Swimming Club in Hyde Park, close to where she lives in north London. “There was a waiting list and it took forever to join. I felt as if I’d won the lottery.”
She didn’t join with the intention of making new friends, and describes herself as more of an introvert. “The house had turned into a bit of a pressure cooker with all my family at home,” she says. “My plan was to get my cold water fix and cycle back.” But she soon found herself striking up conversations with Juliet, who regularly swam during the same 9am slot as her.
“I had been living in Beijing in China, working as a technical writer, but came home when my parents got very ill with Covid,” says Juliet. “Because of lockdown rules, I got stuck in the UK.” Being away from her home and partner in China was difficult, and swimming in the Serpentine became her escape. “I do tend to be quite chatty and I enjoyed meeting people there. You have this shared craziness that you’re swimming come rain or shine.”
In the autumn, she and Simonetta bonded over their shared sense of style. “We would admire each other’s outfits; we both love boilersuits,” says Juliet. As the weather got colder, they found themselves talking more frequently. “Interesting conversations happen when you’re half-naked getting changed in the cold,” laughs Simonetta. “Something is freed in that moment after you come out of the water.” They soon discovered they both had grown-up children who were of a similar age and both shared a love of food. Simonetta told her about her restaurant in Queen’s Park, which was struggling due to the pandemic, and they would bring each other snacks to eat by the water. “Once, she brought her sourdough loaf with homemade jam, and I brought chicken soup and china plates for us to eat from,” says Simonetta.
By the end of the year they were starting to see each other outside their swimming sessions. “At one point the pool closed, so we started going to Teddington together, to swim in the Thames,” says Juliet. “We discussed our backgrounds and found out that we both have Jewish heritage. We also have so many of the same cultural touch points from childhood because we are exactly the same age.”
The following October, Juliet was able to return to her home in China. They agreed to stay in touch through WhatsApp. “As well as owning a restaurant, Simonetta is a creative writer. She suggested that we write to each other to share five things about our swims every day. She’s a beautiful writer and sent these amazing descriptions of where she was and what she was doing.”
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Simonetta also loved getting updates from her friend. “She would tell me about all the eccentric things she saw in Beijing, like the man who brought along a duck or impromptu karaoke sessions by the canal shores.”
The WhatsApp messages, some of which were very long, became a form of journal therapy for both of them. They soon began to talk more deeply about their lives as well as their swimming sessions. “We can tell each other anything and vent about what’s going on in life,” says Simonetta. “I always take seriously what she says and try my best to offer her advice from across the world.” As well as the support she gives, she loves Juliet’s zest for life: “I’m in awe of her teenage spirit. She lives this busy, full life and is constantly open to new experiences. She’s made me a lot braver in talking about my feelings.”
Juliet appreciates her friend’s warmth and positivity. “I love the fact that she’s completely sure of herself, but not full of herself,” says Simonetta. “She makes me think about things in a way nobody else does, and whatever happens we can always be honest with each other.”
