Hub and spoke. Audio Collective.

Hi, I'm Willow Belden and you're listening to Out There, the podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors.

We are hard at work planning out our next season, which is set to launch in the spring.

Until then, we're bringing you bonus episodes from time to time. Today is one of those times.

This story is about fear.

When you fear something, what do you do?

Do you avoid it?

Do you find ways to manage the fear?

Producer Matt Frasica brings us the story of a marathon swimmer

who has to overcome a fear of deep water every time she competes.

It's a fear that's rooted in an experience she had as a teenager.

This story first aired on Matt's podcast, The Briney, in 2021. When I arrive at the ocean, I will stand on the beach and I'll scan the water.

I will look to see if there's any diving birds.

And if I see any seabirds diving, that means there's a school of fish there.

So I remove my wedding band, earrings, necklace.

And I do not wear tinted goggles.

They're plain goggles.

And because anything that's shiny, it'll, you know, resemble like fish scales.

And so a bigger fish, if something catches their eye, they, you know, they'll come in to investigate.

And I don't want to be investigated.

You know, so.

One day a couple months ago, I called up Pat Galant Charette, who lives outside Portland, Maine.

...