Three of Chrissie Wellington’s favourite pool-based swim sessions

Try these drills from Britain’s four-time Kona queen, then transfer them to the open water

Chrissie Wellington (right) and our comp winner Katy Campbell

Chrissie Wellington

As part of our ‘Train with Chrissie’ series, the four-time Kona champion shares three of her favourite pool-based technique drills to transfer to open water.

>>> Chrissie Wellington's top ten lessons for triathletes

Practise swimming straight

Swim with your eyes closed for 9-10 strokes. This will help you learn to swim straight without looking at the black line on the bottom of the pool (practise this when the lane is clear!). A glance at the lane ropes will tell you which side you veer towards.

If you have a swim coach, work with them to correct stroke asymmetry that might be causing the swerve – often crossing over the centre line at the front of the stroke, or under the body.

Over time you should be able to increase the amount of strokes you can perform with your eyes closed and still swim in a straight line. This exercise will also train and strengthen the muscles you use to sight.

Eyes up

Swim normally, but practise looking up twice every length to see the pace clock or your coach using the ‘sighting’ technique outlined above.

Water polo drill

Swim 15-25m of the pool with your head up. Don’t turn your head to the side to breathe. This is a great way to build strength in your neck and make sure you’re aware of how your lower body sinks when your head is raised.

For lots more performance advice head to our Training section

Chrissie Wellington

Triathlon legend

Chrissie Wellington OBE is a retired, British professional triathlete and four-time Ironman world champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance. She remains the world record holder for Ironman distance (8:18hrs). Chrissie won the Ironman World Championship in three consecutive years (2007–2009), but could not start the 2010 World Championship race because of illness. She regained the title in 2011. She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman world title, and was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Iron distance. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement described by the British Triathlon Federation as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Since retiring in 2012 Chrissie has completed countless endurance events, from cycling sportives, to marathons and ultra-marathons and even a cross country ski marathon or two! Chrissie was awarded a first-class degree by the University of Birmingham (BsC Geography) in 1998 and a Distinction from the University of Manchester (MA Econ Development Studies) in 2000. Prior to becoming a professional athlete in 2007, she worked for the British Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a policy adviser on international development and also managed water and sanitation projects in Nepal. Chrissie now devotes her life to work to improve individual and population health and wellbeing, and specifically interventions to increase participation in physical activity. She is the Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing for parkrun and is committed to engaging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities in parkrun events, thereby addressing the entrenched health and wellbeing inequalities that impact many countries across the world. Chrissie published her Sunday Times Best Selling autobiography, 'A Life Without Limits', in 2012, and her second book, 'To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race', in 2017. In 2021, she co-authored and published two fully-illustrated children's wellbeing storybooks with friend and former athlete Susie Bush-Ramsey entitled 'You're so strong' and 'You're so amazing', as a means of sharing messages about belief, trust, love, friendship, trying your best and embracing change. A trailblazer at heart, Chrissie is often advocating for change. In 2014 she joined three professional cyclists in campaigning for and successfully creating a women’s race at the Tour De France. Chrissie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. She was also named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. Chrissie lives with her husband, former professional athlete Tom Lowe, and their daughter Esme in a small village in Somerset.