About Me — Simon Griffiths
Publisher, pen pusher, parent
What I do and why I do it
My main occupation is publisher and owner of Outdoor Swimmer, a print and online publication I created in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine). Starting Outdoor Swimmer allowed me to build a business around an activity I not only enjoy but is also hugely beneficial. Swimming in nature is good for both our physical and mental wellbeing and prompts us to be better stewards of our planet.
I’m also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 Days a Year. The book draws on a lifetime of swimming experience plus 10-years of writing and publishing about outdoor swimming.
Most of what I write about swimming ends up either in Outdoor Swimmer magazine or on our website but I also enjoy writing about other topics, which I occasionally post on Medium. These topics usually align with my interests and experiences and include:
- Writing, editing, and publishing
- Small business management/entrepreneurship
- Swimrun (I like to run as well as swim)
- Fitness
With Outdoor Swimmer and my book, my mission is to inspire and encourage as many people as possible to discover and enjoy outdoor swimming’s health and wellbeing benefits, and to provide the information needed to do so. Through Medium, I can expand that mission to helping people support their long-term fitness and sharing business, marketing, and writing ideas.
What else?
I am a so-called ‘empty-nester’. Before that, I was the main carer and mostly arranged to work from home and combined building a business with childcare. In my 20s and early 30s, I worked in investment banking and civil engineering. I spent three years living in The Gambia building solar-powered water supply systems for small villages. I studied physics at university, did a master’s in engineering, and then an MBA at London Business School. I play acoustic guitar (currently learning fingerpicking styles) and try to spend 10 to 20 minutes each day practicing a language on Duolingo. I’m currently working through the Italian course. I speak intermediate German, basic French, and some Spanish.
I now live just outside of London a short distance from the Thames, where I swim all year through. I also swim three to four times weekly for fitness in a pool with a local masters swimming club.
Where else to find me?
The only social media I regularly use is Twitter (@SimonDGriffiths). I occasionally check LinkedIn too. Outdoor Swimmer is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
