Daniele Pizzo, an open water swimmer and ultra-runner, has found profound personal growth through his experiences in nature. From the Appalachian Mountains to the Mediterranean, his journey is shaped by overcoming challenges like rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure, highlighting the power of patience and mindfulness in his pursuits.
Here's our conversation...
Where is your go-to open water swim spot?
A lake nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.
Can you tell us about your early experiences with swimming and how you first learned the skill?
I hail from Italy and the UK. I learned to swim in the local community pool in a small village in northern Italy. It was likely a 10-year-old who taught my brother and me to swim—just a local who was always at the pool when we were 5 or 6.
In the summers (and even during much chillier parts of the year), my parents enjoyed swimming out with us three kids. I remember swimming so far out that I was always nervous we wouldn’t make it back to what looked like a tiny beach growing smaller on the horizon. Good thing there aren’t huge currents in the English Channel and Mediterranean!
What were your early experiences with swimming like?
I only swam breaststroke, probably with the efficiency of a 10-year-old instructor (!), but I learned to go long early. In my later teens and throughout my 20s, 30s, and now 40s, my main love has been ultra-running on trails and in the mountains.
Tell us about the Ultra-Running!
In my mid-20s, I learned through rhabdomyolysis and kidney failure on a 50-miler that you need more wisdom than I had to compete. I didn’t know where to stop. Since then, I’ve continued running and have always had a few close friends to plan and undertake amazing adventures from one far peak to another. I do the occasional race and mainly stick around the laughter and amazing conversations that happen during long runs.
Wow! What brought you back to swimming?
I’d always swim if I had the chance, but in the same unorthodox style. My siblings continued wild swimming in Europe, and then my sister took up open-water swimming. We bonded over the beauty of going long, but when I visited, I could never keep up with her front crawl.
Last year, as she talked about the mindfulness of listening to the breath and the therapeutic benefits of bilateral stimulation for the overly active mind, I started to pay attention. She encouraged me to go super slow, and I remember experiencing that first flow state. I was hooked. I swim for the love of swimming now—always in open water and likely not in the most orthodox style: a bit of immersion style, slow, but long.
Are you part of any Open Water Swim or Triathlon Clubs?
No, I enjoy the solitude of my current routine.
What are your main motivations for swimming in open water?
I swim about four times as much as I run right now. It’s become a powerful meditation tool. When I'm not in the Appalachian Mountains, I love swimming Lake Santeelah, NC; the northern Sicilian coast; and nothing compares to the thrill of the cold British sea. I also had some incredible swims in the Caribbean Sea this year among huge waves.
Tell us what you consider to be your biggest wins and achievements when it comes to swimming.
I feel like every time I get out of the lake or sea, I’ve accomplished something!
Love it! Hoe about your pre and post swim routines, habits and rituals?
In the winter, it takes some coaxing to put on all my gear, get in the car, and dash into the lake. I’m not sure I’m allowed in all the lakes I venture into, so I tend to dash in and out with all my gear, then turn on the heat in the car and sip on hot tea until the shakes stop enough to head home. In the summer, I’ll walk straight out of a work meeting, get an hour swim in, and then head straight to the next meeting from the lake.
Finally, what advice or motivation would you give those just starting or thinking of getting into open water swimming?
For me, the best advice was to go slow and wait for the flow. I’m in recovery from active addiction, and in recovery, they say, “Don’t leave until the miracle happens.” Once I slowed down, a miracle was waiting beneath the surface of the water, and it’s there every time I go back.