summer 22 natural clinics
forum magazine caught up with Jen Freeman, founder of Be Found Be Chosen and avid swimmer, to wade through her relationship with the open water…
Jen’s love affair with the open water was born through a heartbreaking loss. An avid horse rider and animal lover, the sudden death of her black mare in 2021 had stripped Jen of her fervour for the great outdoors. It wasn’t until a fleeting drive past the arresting beauty of the North East coastline triggered an urge. “I’m 43 and I’ve had horses all my life. I had a lovely black mare - who was wonderful and the love of my life -
she died last year and I tried my utmost to replace her. I slowly came around to realising that some things are just irreplaceable and that I wasn’t going to succeed. It was a tough period and it was the first time in my life that I didn’t have a purpose to be enjoying the outdoors. "I love the sea, the coast and just thought ‘I’m going to get in the water’. At first, that was a massive problem as I have always been the coldest
person in the world. Even when I was riding my horses, you could always find me with 42 layers and a fleeced hat all year. "This was a huge hurdle to overcome and so I tried cryotherapy. It was by chance, that the treatment reset my internal temperature and allowed me to walk straight in without any issues - it’s also allowed me to save a fortune on the heating bills too…” The rush of adrenaline, the sweeping feeling of rich blood pumping from head to toe and the intensified senses meant Jen had fallen in love with a new hobby. Add in the fact that Jen chose a serene spot in Northumberland - a place straight out of a Scandinavian photobook - and it’s no surprise that the water had claimed another die-hard fan. We pushed Jen for the exact location, but she’s sworn to secrecy… “For my first swim, I made sure I picked an incredibly beautiful spot in
a secret location in Northumberland. I found it incredibly difficult to get in as it was excruciatingly cold. It was a special pain that I won’t forget in a hurry! "Slowly over a few months, my tolerance to the cold improved to the point where I no longer feel that breathtaking sensation. It doesn’t register with me now thankfully.” An increasingly popular pastime, some swimmers have ventured into the water as a mechanism to boost their mental health, maintain physical fitness or reconnect with planet earth. But what was the attraction for Jen? Simple, to unleash her inner thrillseeker and meet new people. “There’s a budding group of swimmers starting to come together. Gradually over the summer, my friend began venturing into the water with me and from there, we’ve met tonnes of people through our newfound love of swimming.
