Owen, with disabilities in both feet, has been para-swim training with his shinfinTM fins for about five years. They adjust to fit on his legs. He has been so successful, that he has reached number one UK rankings in his para-classification. These include 50 metres freestyle, 100 metres freestyle and 100 metres breastroke. He is also captain of the University of Nottingham swimming team and on the England Para-swimming Talent Development squad. Owen finds shinfinTM fins extremely helpful for improving his kick action because they lift his thighs and body horizontal. This gives him the best swimming style. Furthermore, he finds them extremely helpful for improving his leg strength because they encourage proper kick power from his hips.
Owen’s review from Nottingham, UK
“shinfinTM fins have been extremely helpful in helping improve my kick action and leg strength, letting me participate in sessions I previously wasn’t able to.”
Mark (father): “So, thank you. The fins have been really effective and they allow Owen to train with able-bodied swimmers. We purchased two pairs of shinfinTM fins and Owen hasn’t looked back since. Now when kicking drills are ordered in training, he can match the able-bodied swimmers and the session is no longer an exercise in disheartening futility!”
Owen’s review: Para-swim training fins for feet disabilities
5 year follow-up
I noticed that you bought a couple of pairs of fins about five years ago. I’d be very interested to hear what they have been used for and how people have got on with them.
Mark (father)
“Nice to hear from you. The fins were for my son, Owen who is now 20 years old. He is a nationally ranked para-swimmer and is in the National Development Squad. He is at the University of Nottingham, now in his second year, and swims for the university and a local club called Nova Centurions who have produced a steady stream of Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists and world record holders.”
“His story is that he was born with just a little finger on each hand and a little toe on each foot. Over his first 10 years he had 14 operations and a couple of hundred hospital visits. His biggest operation was to transfer his little toes to his hands in order to act as thumbs. A 13 hour operation at The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. His surgeon is Anglo/Australian and one of the world’s best reconstructive plastic surgeons.”
“So as you can see from the attached photos, he swims pretty effectively with amputated feet and minimal digits on his hands.”
Soul-destroying without shinfinTM fins
“We were at a Development Squad session five years ago when Owen was asked to swim a couple of lengths of a 50m pool using just his kick. This is a soul-destroying process for Owen, as with such a little ‘flipper’ on the end of his legs he does not make much headway. One of the England coaches spoke to me after the session and asked if we had heard of shinfinTM fins. So I placed the order the next day and Owen has used them most training sessions ever since.”
“A couple of days ago, he phoned asking me to send up his ‘spare’ pair as the rubber strap has snapped. I have sent them up to him, but thought that it would be wise to order a couple of pairs of spare straps.”
“So, thank you. The fins have been really effective and they allow Owen to train with able-bodied swimmers. I hope that this helps. If you have any further questions then please don’t hesitate to come back to me.”
Reply
Many thanks for your kind email and photos. That is a wonderful story. It is very pleasing that shinfinTM fins have helped Owen so much over many years. Do you think Owen would be happy to share these photos and perhaps some more photos of him wearing his fins, for me to put on the website? I think that would be very valuable to help others in a similar situation.
Another thought. Did Owen ever try strapping the fins to his wrists, with the fin tips near his elbows? That could give him a different upper body workout.
Mark (father)
“Owen is captain of the University of Nottingham swimming team and is on the England Para-swimming Talent Development squad. He is currently the #1 ranked swimmer in the UK for both 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle and 100m Breaststroke in his para-classification.”
Owen
“shinfinTM fins have been extremely helpful in helping improve my kick action and leg strength, letting me participate in sessions I previously wasn’t able to.”
Reply
Many thanks Owen for your review and photo for our website. Congratulations on your number one UK rankings for freestyle and breaststroke. It is so pleasing that you have found your shinfinTM fins extremely helpful for improving your leg strength and kicking action, over the last five years or so. That will help other para swimmers too.
Mark (father)
“Before we ‘discovered’ shinfinTM fins, when Owen was training with able-bodied swimmers at his local club, he would be asked to do kicking drills. As he had no ‘flippers’ on the end of his legs, this was an extremely disheartening thing for him to do. And extremely frustrating for his parents to watch. He would spend minutes kicking fruitlessly and end up going absolutely nowhere, whilst able-bodied swimmers caught him up and overtook him. It really tested his resolve and determination. The worst part for him was that it was extremely obvious to him and all the other swimmers that he was ‘different’, something any child hates with a passion, eespecially if the child is disabled.”
“In an England Talent Development session, one of the coaches took me to one side and asked if I knew about shinfinTM fins. A quick session on the internet and we purchased two pairs of shinfinTM fins. And Owen hasn’t looked back since. Now when kicking drills are ordered in training, he can match the able-bodied swimmers and the session is no longer an exercise in disheartening futility!”
Reply
Many thanks for your kind reply and photo Mark. Is it still OK to use extracts and photos from your emails for a review on the website?
Mark (father)
“Yes, it is still OK.”
Reply
Thank you for your kind permission. Personal recommendation is very important to help a new product like this along, so I really appreciate it.
Conclusion
If you have disabilities in one or both feet, you will really benefit from para-swim training with shinfinTM fins. The fins adjust to fit on your legs. They improve your kick action because the fins naturally lift your thighs and hence your body is more horizontal. So this gives you the best swimming style. Furthermore, you will find shinfinTM fins strengthen your legs. This is because they guide you into a smooth, hip powered kicking style.
Further reviews from foot amputees show shinfinTM fins used for swimming and surfing, and for learning to swim. Another review illustrates mobility disability exercise. shinfinTM fins work very well for many other disabilities too. Of course, they are also great for able-bodied performance swim training, as shown in these reviews about enhanced performance swim training and training butterfly technique.