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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Angela Giuffrida

I struggled to come to terms with my mum’s death. Then I swam in the sea and suddenly felt connected to her

Six swimmers seen underwater through a shoal of fish
Angela Giuffrida, centre, holding her nose, on a swimming trip in the Ionian Sea off Greece last year. Photograph: Courtesy of Lauren Elder

It was early morning in late September, off the coast of Kaş in Turkey. Watching the slightly choppy sea from a boat, the last thing I felt like doing was embarking on another 5km (3-mile) swim. Mind fog had sapped my energy, and my mood was decidedly Eeyore-like. But as I pulled on my cap and flippers, adjusted my goggles and took the plunge, something shifted.

Head in the water, the knotted feeling in my throat began to loosen. Breathing came properly. There was respite.

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