From set to sea: Bridgerton's Sabrina Bartlett on learning to swim for film

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This week Salim is joined by actress Sabrina Bartlett, known for Bridgerton, Poldark, Knightfall, Victoria and that unforgettable Game of Thrones finale, and currently on screens in BBC One's I, Jack Wright. But this isn't a conversation about her impressive CV. Salim and Sabrina have history: he coached her back in 2013 for her breakout film role as a Channel swimmer, and this episode goes right back to where it all began, for both of them.

Together, Salim and Sabrina explore:

How a 2013 film shoot in Italy, playing a Channel swimmer, changed the course of both their lives
The moment of pure overwhelm on a first open water swim, and the mental trick that got her through it
Why performance artists, dancers and ballerinas often pick up swimming technique faster than anyone else
The idea of swimming as a performance art rather than a sport, and what that shift in mindset actually does to technique
Cold water swimming as a ritual before a working day and the anxiety that never quite goes away, even for experienced swimmers
Setting boundaries on set and what it means to have someone advocating for your physical wellbeing when the job demands otherwise
Sabrina's favourite open water spots, from Positano and Sorrento to Cornwall's lesser known coves
Why October, not summer, is secretly the best month to swim in the Cornish sea

Useful Links

The Crossing, the 2013 short film that first brought Salim and Sabrina together
The Last Sunrise, Sabrina's upcoming film, out on Amazon Prime from 26 August
I, Jack Wright, currently airing on BBC One and iPlayer
Outdoor Swimmer Magazine: outdoorswimmer.com
Shepperton Open Water Swim: sheppertonopenwaterswim.co.uk
Watergate Bay Hotel - where Salim holds his swimming retreats: watergatebay.co.uk/

Swim with Salim