Interview – Vivien Solari Why is that? “I’m not quite sure. But personally, I’d rather have someone my own age modelling the clothes I’m buying. It just makes sense that you need diversity. And at 40 I don’t feel old.” How was it different, modelling in your thirties? “One of the big things I noticed was that I was being treated with a lot more respect. I think often in my early 20s, I would get treated and spoken to like a child, even though I was a professional business woman.” Any bits of the job you could live without? “Jet lag. I hate jet lag. Especially if I’ve just done a trip to LA and I’ve got to come back and be in mum-mode straight away. Sometimes you have to dig deep, don’t you?” Your life has many aspects – family, swimming, work. How does it all fit in and work together? “I’m gradually getting better at time management: sitting down, making plans, writing things out, being realistic about time. Also saying ‘no’ more. I’ve always been okay at saying ‘no’, but in the past I’d feel anxious about it. Whereas now I’ve decided what the essential things are.” You turned 40 last year? Was it a milestone you dreaded? “No, I wasn’t anxious at all. I don’t get worried about ageing. There’s nothing you can do about it, it’s a natural process.” How did you celebrate? “I had a beach party on my actual birthday in November. Before that, in the summer around the solstice I did a 40-mile walk – a mile for every year of my life. I did it with a friend and we started walking at sunrise. We finished in moonlight, feet aching.” You’ve been swimming in the cold water for 10 years now. What does it add to your life? “It’s good therapy. If everything’s getting stressful and overwhelming, going into the sea resets it all. Swimming completely chills you out, literally! You have to really focus on what you’re doing, so you can’t really think about other things when it’s cold. Physically and mentally, I think I’ve become stronger and more resilient.” Has being fit and healthy always been important to you? “I wasn’t particularly athletic in my teens. I’ve always loved being outdoors and swimming, but I think from midtwenties onwards, that’s when I started getting stronger.” Any big swims coming up? “In August, I’m swimming lake Windermere in the English Lake District, which is 10.5 miles. I’ve not done that distance before – my longest swim was six hours. I wanted a really big challenge. I’m doing it for a charity, Level Water, who fund swimming lessons for children with disabilities. I chose them because my son has disabilities and we spent a long time trying to find him an instructor.” Have you got your kids into swimming in the sea? “They will come in, but they won’t do it in winter. I have been known to take my daughter out in the morning in the middle of winter. She has her breakfast on the beach, and she’ll be eating her cereal calling out ‘mummy it’s really cold!’ while I’m in in 5-degree water.” What is the biggest lesson being a parent has taught you? “Patience.” Have you had any scary moments in the sea? “Yes, I did once push it too far in the cold. It was the first year, and I remember that I felt really really good and focused in the water, so I just kept going. But I hadn’t made allowance for the after-drop effect, where your core temperature keeps dropping when you get out. It was quite scary, it felt like an out of body experience. I felt outside myself. I was properly hypothermic. A friend and my husband bundled me up and took me home. I remember getting in the bath afterwards and I couldn’t tell if the water was boiling hot or cold.” What environmental issues connected to the oceans concern you the most? “Plastic pollution. I see the plastic bobbing around. It’s amazing how many bottles wash up after a storm. I come across birds that are dead or tangled up. Quite a while back I really started to cut out my single-use plastic. I’ve got my water bottle that I take everywhere. I have a little kit for when I travel, with my own utensils and coffee cup. If I forget my cup, I don’t have the coffee. That way I’ll remember it next time. It’s all about getting into good habits.” Are you a city or country person? “I’m definitely more country, but I really enjoyed living in Manchester.” Name three things on your bucket list. “I don’t have a bucket list. I tend not to think too far ahead.” What is your mantra? “Take each day as it comes.” What’s your vice? “Coffee, chocolate and tequila.” If InWear was a song what would it be? “‘These Days Are Mine’ by I Am Klute”. InWear Brand Book – Chapter II 29
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