Celebrating the joy of open-water swimming with our Muslim community and Nike Swim

Words by Dalia Al-Dujaili

Water is a healer. It’s the element that not only most of our bodies are made up, but that most of Earth is also made up of. Nature is also a healer, and swimming outdoors has, for many years, been hailed as medicine for the mind and body. For our open water swimming shoot with Nike, we wanted to showcase the effects that swimming can have on our friendships, our interdependent relationship with nature, and the gratitude we feel for our bodies.

“I’ve always found the concept of open water swimming a little scary. The waters of the sea and oceans are so deep, and we’ve only explored like five percent of that, so you never know what’s lurking in the water with you,” shares Memunatu Barrie about her open water swimming experiences. “Having said all that, I would 100 percent swim in open water again. It was a wonderful experience in such a peaceful and natural-feeling setting.”

For textile designer and creative Memunatu, nature serves as her respite whenever she’s “feeling low,” she tells us. “I think what made this experience different for me,” she continues, “is that I’m usually just observing nature from a distance, especially when it comes to the water. This time I got to engage with it, floating and swimming amongst the fish and the tiny tadpoles I spotted in the waters earlier that day.”

Making use of Diver’s Cove in Surrey as our location, the group of five Muslim women – Zaineb Abelque, Memunatu Barrie, Tasneem Elnayal, Maz Ullah, and Rania Qaddoura – were able to swim freely with the help of Nike’s Victory Swim line, a modest swimwear collection for women of various modesties. What’s less common than seeing Muslim women represented positively at all in the media is seeing them represented in all their diversity.

Supporting Nike’s Victory Swim line since its inception in 2020, we were excited to bring the sportswear brand’s SS22 collection to life in the wilderness. Driving an hour outside of London, the girls threw on their swim gear and explored the blue-green waters of the large lake and its peaceful, woodland surroundings.

With the heavy policing of Muslim women’s clothing, initiatives like Hilltop Women’s Football Club, Athene Club, and Space Muslim Wellness’s Outdoor Projects aim to make all women feel more comfortable in the outdoors, but Muslim-women specific swim groups are still hard to find and to access. “Nike has continued to combat this inclusivity issue and create pieces and a platform to do so in such a beautiful manner,” says creative and designer Rania.

Tasneem chimes in, thinking that “some [women] may hold back because they may not know of modest swim clothing that is available, or they may feel like they are not welcome in such spaces, especially after seeing some countries ban the hijab in public spaces.” The artist thinks having a swimming club for Muslim women might encourage them, “because there is comfort in going in groups and knowing that other people understand and share similar struggles that come with wanting to swim and choosing to dress modestly.”

All the women found comfort in the fact they were sharing the experience together, without shame, judgement or onlooking gazes. “I think experiences like this are best shared with a big group of friends as there is a sense of security that comes with being in a group,” Rania adds. If the day at Diver’s Cove was encapsulated by anything, it was new friends. The women were able to guide each other into the water, the more experienced supporting the less confident, gripping hands and laughing off the cold shivers together.

“When you deprive someone of nature, the thought of open water is daunting,” Zaineb, photographer and Athene Club co-founder tells us, “but I think all Muslim women are daring and want to enjoy life, we just need spaces that allow us to.” Going outside is when Zaineb feels “the closest to Allah,” affirming her belief that nature is a “healer, the place you won't be judged for being you.”

Swimming has proven to be, as Memunatu calls it, “the ultimate holistic well-being sport.” Its benefits are widely recognised. An excellent form of stress relief, strength training and above all, a joyful form of movement with friends or in solitude. “I love swimming in the wild!” exclaims Zaineb. “You feel fresh, you feel light and productive. There's direct links between sports, faith and wellbeing. Our bodies and souls need to be taken care of. To swim is a privilege but a necessary skill in life, one that we should all have accessibility to.”

AZEEMA Agency production for NIKE Swim

Photographer + Creative Director: Jameela Elfaki

Photographers Assistant: Charlotte Macaulay

Creative Producer: Sunayah Arshad

Production Assistant: Dalia Al-Dujaili

Art Director: Evar Hussayni

Stylist: Ella Lucia

Stylist Assistant: Naailah Khalifa

MUA: Rebecca Davenport

Talent: Maz Ullah, Zaineb Abelque, Tasneem Elnayal, Rania Qaddoura, Mumunatu Barrie

With thanks to Melissa Williams, Amelia Rose Ellis and Divers Cove Surrey