Our story
The History of Vladswim
Vladswim was founded in 2011 by Vladimir Mravec, an experienced swim coach originally from Slovakia, with a passion for endurance sports and open water challenges. After years of coaching in Europe and New Zealand, Vladimir moved to Sydney and saw the potential to build something unique — a swim program that combined European training philosophy with the adventurous Australian ocean lifestyle.
What began with a few swimmers training at ABC Pool soon grew into a thriving community of ocean swimmers, triathletes, and marathon swim aspirants. Vladimir’s coaching quickly gained recognition for its structure, discipline, and deep understanding of endurance preparation. The Vladswim method focuses not just on swimming distance, but on mastering pacing, technique, mental strength, and race-day strategy.
In just a few years, Vladswim became the go-to program in Australia for open water and Channel swim preparation. The squad’s achievements include:
- Over 80 successful English Channel crossings
- Dozens of swimmers completing the Oceans Seven challenges
- Numerous world-first swims and ultra-marathon achievements (such as Italy to Albania and Newcastle to Sydney)
- Thousands of everyday swimmers completing their first ocean events and triathlons
Beyond the numbers, Vladswim became known for its inclusive, community-driven approach — welcoming swimmers of all levels, building confidence, and helping people discover what they’re truly capable of in the water.
Now, Vladswim runs year-round pool squads in Sydney, open water sessions, global swim trips, and online coaching programs for swimmers around the world. Whether you’re starting your first 1km swim or preparing for a 30km channel, Vladswim offers the guidance, support, and structure to help you succeed.
What we do
Vladswim – Open Water Swim Coaching for Every Level
Vladswim is a world-class swim coaching program based in Sydney, Australia, specialising in open water and long-distance swim preparation. Whether you’re training for your first ocean swim, chasing a personal best, or aiming to complete a legendary Channel crossing, Vladswim offers expert coaching, personalised planning, and community support to help you achieve your swim goals.
With a proven track record of coaching beginners, triathletes, marathon swimmers, and Oceans Seven achievers, the Vladswim program is built on endurance development, smart training structure, mental preparation, and a passion for the open water.
From your first ocean swim to writing your name in open water history — Vladswim is with you every stroke of the way.
What Sets Vladswim Apart
- Personalised coaching for all swim levels
- Structured squad sessions and online training plans
- Specialised programs from 500m to 100+ km
- Experience in preparing over 100 English Channel swimmers
- Expert advice on technique, pacing, recovery, and swim strategy
- A global community of motivated swimmers
