Get to know Open Water Swimming star, Josie Page!

19 January 2022

It seems the 19.7km Rottnest Channel Swim crossing is not long enough for West Side Christ Church’s Josie Page.

The 22-year-old endurance machine is targeting her fifth top-three finish in the solo category to quokka rock in February, although her biggest target is completing the 33km English Channel crossing.

While the English Channel Swim is listed as 33km, currents, wind and swell frequently means swimmers are pushed well past 40km in total distance covered. It's a 

Since transitioning from pool racing to purely open water swimming around five years ago, Josie continuously challenges for wins across the 5km, 7.5km and 10km distances. Although the latter distance to her can come across as “too short.”

With her eyes set on ultra-marathon swimming events, Page is following in the same footsteps as the marathon swimming legend, Shelley Taylor-Smith.

After recently landing her dream job of working with children as an Occupational Therapist, Josie kindly spoke with Swimming WA to discuss her open water swimming goals, tedious training schedule and life outside the pool.

Josie Page

How and when did you first get involved with swimming? 

Page - “I’ve always been a water baby! My parents got me involved in baby swimming lessons and I’ve had an obsession with it ever since.

As I progressed to squad swimming from a junior age, my parents and coaches soon realised that my hard-working attitude and determination was going to be my saving grace as my chubby physique and a lack of natural talent was not doing myself many favours!

As a youngster I was involved in pool racing and surf club, as the years progressed and my endurance improved, my love for swimming changed from pool swimming to open water swimming. I’ve now been competing in the longer open water swimming distances for over ten years.”

Matt Magee

What clubs and coaches have you trained with throughout your career? 

Page – “Being involved in swimming and surf club from a young age has meant I’ve been coached by my fair share of coaches, all having their own unique styles and approaches to training.

There have been many stand out coaches throughout my career, more recently two incredible coaches come to mind. These coaches both create a positive environment that makes training enjoyable and easier to achieve for both team and personal goals.

Matt Magee, a coach known to most throughout Australia, took my swimming career to new levels and lengths that not even I thought was possible. We did some insane training blocks such as 15km straight swims in the pool and gruelling camps together.

He helped me find my unique talent of open water swimming, more specifically marathon swimming in such a demanding and competitive swimming world. He recently was offered an incredibly well-deserved position coaching the German Olympic swimmers out of Neckarsulm in Germany. Once he moved there around 18 months ago, I found I was lost within my swimming career.

It was Jon Harrison, my current coach at Westside Christchurch who took me under his wing and recharged my passion for open water swimming after a few knock-backs. Jon and I work together as a team, forever finding ways to improve and build towards achieving my goals.

Both of these amazing coaches are honest and believed in me from the start, always placing the life of their athletes before swimming. I owe a lot to both as they helped me find my niche within the sport and boosted my enjoyment.”

Josie Page

What is your current weekly load of training? 

Page – “Swimming has certainly given myself organisation and time management skills that I will always use. Balancing a university degree, casual work and a personal life on top of a 20+ hour training week seems unrealistic and daunting. It does however keep life interesting.

Currently I’m involved in nine swim sessions, two gym sessions and one yoga session per week. Ryan Evernden is my gym coach and a very good former swimmer himself. He’s worked with me out of Formidable Strength & Conditioning in Wembley and has been phenomenal in helping me improve my swimming through great strength and conditioning training.

Throughout the week, I’ll also squeeze in massage and physiotherapy appointments when needed. I have a great support system around me, including coaches, parents and friends who help me ensure I can always have a balanced life.

The key tip and the essential part of survival are my mid-day nanna naps. My coach Jon Harrison can vouch for this!”

Josie Page

What was it about open water swimming that attracted you? 

Page – “Spending race days at the beach and not being stuck in a chlorine hot box all weekend was my selling point of transitioning to open water swimming. My parents enjoyed this idea too!

Fast twitch muscle fibres, dives and turns are not exactly my strong points, for this reason I decided to transition to purely open water swimming in 2017.

My uncle is a mad open water swimmer, having swum a triple Rottnest crossing before. He has always been a big inspiration and driver in my open water swimming.

I’m more suited to the longer events, some days a 10km is too short and my focus is now shifting towards events 20km and over as I feel my endurance is better suited to ultra-marathon distances.”

Josie Page

What are your proudest career accomplishments so far? 

Page – “I make sure I take time to celebrate the big and small wins. This includes placing in the top three finishers four years in a row in the Rottnest Channel Swim, winning a State Championship event, making swim and surf teams, qualifying for my first national event or finally cracking a personal best time.

Swimming for over 10 years means I’ve had those bumpy seasons, as athletes we are naturally our own worst critics at times. I’m proud that I’m still swimming and continuing to demonstrate a hard-working attitude, resilience and determination after all these years.”

What are your short-term goals? 

Page – “My short-term goal is placing in the top three in the Solo category for the 2022 Rottnest Channel Swim.

Within this are numerous training goals, that I have constructed with my swimming and strength and conditioning coaches together. Over the next month or so, we will really pump up the number of kilometres completed during each training session.”

Josie Page

What are your long-term goals? 

Page – “There a few international marathon swims I have my eyes on.  At this stage it is difficult to confirm competing at particular events as they are depending on COVID restrictions for travel.

I know for certain I’d love to complete a solo crossing of the English Channel Swim. This is a 33km ultra-marathon swim between England and France and this is my major long-term goal as I love the longer distances.

It’s usually rougher and much colder than the Rottnest Channel Swim, so it takes a lot more training and kilometres covered in training. It’s only attempted by the hardcore open water swimmers and the concept of swimming from England to France is a really cool goal to achieve and that’s why I’d love to do it one day.”

What are your hobbies outside of the pool? 

Page – “A life outside of the pool is very important.  Apart from my essential nanna naps, I enjoy spending too much money on going out for breakfasts and coffee. I have a great group of friends I enjoy spending time with and traveling with. I also value quality time with my family.

Since finishing school, I have worked casually as a swim coach and swimming instructor so I’m constantly surrounded by the pool! I have recently finished my degree in Occupational Therapy, so would love to land my dream job of working with children.”

Josie Page

How do you prepare for your competitions? 

Page – “I like to keep life relatively normal around competitions. Over the years I have learned to decrease anxiety and stress surrounding racing. I now stay mostly relaxed during competitions and have found this has improved my results.

I don’t particularly have certain songs or music that I listen to before a race, the biggest nightmare for me would be to have a song stuck on repeat in my head for 10-20km!”

What advice would you give other open water swimmers? 

Page – “Sounds corny, but my biggest tip is to have fun and enjoy the sport.

If you aren’t enjoying the training, the environment or the sport, you are less likely to achieve the results you want.

All of the elite athletes in swimming seem to be enjoying it the most. It’s important to have that competitive instinct but knowing how to relax and enjoy this sport is essential.”

Josie Page

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