Reflections Interview: Adele Benson — Headspace, Community, and the Road to UltraEbre

Interview by Ben Lane

For Bristol-based swimmer Adele Benson, the water has been many things: a refuge, a training ground, and increasingly, a way to connect with others. From a first dawn start at the Henley Classic to a cold, determined English Channel crossing in 2024, her journey reads like a map of the places we go—externally and internally—when life demands a reset. With Spain’s UltraEbre (30 km) pencilled for July next year, she’s thinking as much about pace lines and feeding as she is about community and creativity.

Beginnings: Swimming as Headspace

Ben: Adele, for readers who haven’t met you yet, how did swimming first take root?

Adele: Like most, I learned as a kid—more survival than sport. I never joined a club, but I’d lane-swim with my mum. In my teens, life was difficult—my mum had cancer several times—and by A-levels I had a lot of pent-up stress at a time when I was required to make big decisions about what to do with my life. When I finally got my driving licence, I could get to the pool on my own. Swimming became headspace: not about distance or pace, just the rhythm and the quiet.

I lifeguarded during a gap year, then headed to the University of Portsmouth. Between essays and deadlines, water again became may quiet space.

I did my first open-water event—the Henley Classic—in a wetsuit. It wasn’t huge mileage, but it was a different kind of freedom. A healthy distraction.

Post-COVID, I gained some weight and went through a breakup, and I moved back in with my parents, who had retired to Cheshire. It felt like a step backwards; but it became a reset.

Before COVID, I’d been into climbing and mountaineering, loved lifting too. I used Ross Edgley for inspiration and built a routine—strength and swim. After a year of this routine, money meant I had to choose powerlifting or the English Channel. I chose the Channel. This was the right call.

Channel Lessons and the Creative Turn

Ben: When did you cross?

Adele: I’d been naïve when I booked the English Channel for June 2024. The water started at 13°C and crept up to 15°C. It took just over 15 hours to cross, enduring jellyfish and seaweed.  Since then, I’ve done Gdynia-to-Hel (about 18 km) in the Baltic Sea at 18 degrees, and the length of Lake Annecy at 24°C—beautiful, but it taught me about heat and hydration.

The Next Big Target: UltraEbre

Ben: You’re entered for Spain’s UltraEbre—30 km on the River Ebro—next July. What’s the plan?

Adele: I have done some research! The eight-hour cut-off focuses the training I’m doing now to build speed. I’ve read that the river helps you early on, but near the delta you meet chop and tide. I want enough speed to arrive there with margin, not panic. It’ll be about a month after our wedding and my partner’s kayaking: he can paddle, but eight hours is a long way! We’re building his endurance, too. I’m good at cold, but Spain in July could be 24°C-plus. So, hydration, electrolytes, and a mix of carbs are key. I don’t want that moment seven hours in when someone says, “now you need to push,” without having the reserves to do it.

Ben: That last section can get feisty—weed beds, wind, and the tidal draw.

Adele: I’ve heard! We’re learning the route and the hazards. The aim is smart choices so we avoid problems we can simply go around.

The Inner Game: Strategies for the “Why Am I Doing This?” Mile

Ben: Long swims always have a dark patch. What do you do when you hit it?

Adele: First: break it into feeds. I anchor to small comforts. On the Channel, I had diluted mouthwash at each feed to beat salt mouth. Five glorious minutes of normality. I also distract my head—A-to-Z lists of people I’m grateful for, or I replay a film scene by scene. You’re parenting your brain. Make the next five minutes doable; string enough of those together, and you’re at the finish.

Not every day is heroic. An overnight hourly-mile challenge in Cheshire once ended with blinding migraines triggered by lights on the water.

There’s a difference between discomfort and danger. The goal is to arrive at the big swims healthy, not broken. Quitting a training swim when it’s the right decision is part of the discipline.

Training Blocks, Pacing, and Teamwork

Ben: How do you train and prepare for a long swim?

Adele: In the last year, I’ve done a lot of 10–15 km pool sets. Staring at tiles is dull, but it hard-wires consistency. Then in open water, you layer navigation, chop, wind, and temperature. For Spain, training the finish is a priority: hold form when you’re tired, sight cleanly, and respond to your kayaker’s calls without wasting strokes.

Teamwork is key. The best kayaker is a calm metronome, part coach, part logistics coordinator.

Community, Honesty, and Why She Shares

Ben: Your social posts lean towards honesty—no “highlight reel” gloss. Why?

Adele: I moved to Bristol to live with my partner, whilst working a remote role and aiming for a promotion, and training for the English Channel, I didn’t have time to build community locally. Sharing online started as a creative outlet; it’s become a two-way street. The messages I get— “I tried my first cold dip,” or “I signed up for a 5 km”—that’s the best part.

If something in a race doesn’t work, I’ll say it. If I struggle, I’ll say it. That’s my story and people find it relatable.

Looking Ahead: Big Water, Big Dreams

Ben: Beyond UltraEbre, what’s the plan for 2026?

Adele: An Ullswater Double a month after Spain—back-to-back crossings. I’ve done the single and felt like I was going nowhere at times, so mentally it’ll be spicy. Then the Bristol Channel—Devon to Wales—one of the original Triple Crown routes. I respect each of them.

There’s also the ongoing project of living a life that has room for big swims, meaningful work, and the breathing space to tell the truth about both.

Swimming keeps me present. It’s where I do my best thinking—even if I can’t bill it as work time! I want to keep building community, sharing what I learn, and helping others find that same headspace.

Parting Thoughts

Ben: Final message for readers on the fence about a first event?

Adele: Make a booking and get started. I’m repeatedly asked about how I manage in different scary swimming scenarios, but I always say, “do it scared.” I don’t like jellyfish but won’t let that stop me from completing a swim.

Ben: Adele, thank you—and good luck in Spain.

Adele: Thank you. See you on the river.

You can watch the interview on our YouTube Channel link.

Adele Benson is a Bristol-based open-water swimmer and content creator. She swam the English Channel in June 2024, has completed Gdynia–Hel (Baltic) and Lake Annecy 15 km, and is training for Spain’s UltraEbre, an Ullswater Double, and the Bristol Channel in 2026.