On 25 February 2024, we attended our very first Secret Swim.
We had been invited by the Bosom Buddies, a group of women who had been hosting this gathering for several years. Their event brought together breast cancer survivors and women whose lives had been touched by the disease. They wanted to make a donation to ILoveBoobies and invited us along.

We were curious, but a little apprehensive. We weren't entirely sure what to expect. The idea of a topless ocean swim was a little outside our comfort zone, and we wondered how it would align with ILoveBoobies. But the women behind it were sincere, their purpose was genuine, and their invitation came from a place of kindness and generosity. So we went.

That morning changed everything.
What we experienced was unlike anything we had ever been part of.
Heartache, joy, healing, kindness, vulnerability, freedom and an extraordinary sense of connection.
And, ironically, disconnection. In a world where we are constantly connected to everything, here was a precious opportunity to disconnect from it all and simply be present. 200 women. One cruel disease that had touched every life in some way.

There were scars, tears, squeals of joy, laughter and an overwhelming zest for life.

But what struck us most was the complete absence of judgement.
Extra curves, a bit of cellulite, some boobs, no boobs. Nobody cared. Nobody cared about money, status, careers or appearances.
Because breast cancer doesn't give a hoot who you are, what you look like, what you own or where you come from.
In the face of this disease, we are all equal.
There was something incredibly liberating about being surrounded by women who had absolutely nothing to prove to anyone.
We left that beach profoundly moved.
A few months later, the Bosom Buddies team, who founded the Secret Swim and continue to host the Atlantic Seaboard event today, approached us with a question.

Would ILoveBoobies consider taking on the administration and marketing?
We saw an opportunity to share this remarkable experience with women far beyond that one beach. What if we could take the Secret Swim to other communities, other towns, other provinces?
We jumped at the opportunity.
We chose a date — the second Saturday of every October — and created the Secret Swim brand.

But the Secret Swim isn't quite what the name might suggest.
It's not a topless event, although some women choose to swim that way and feel empowered to do so.
The secret is the location, revealed only the night before. And there's a very good reason for that.
We want to protect the sanctity of the experience.
It's not a commercial event. There are no media crews, no trading, no sponsor activations and no swimming distances to complete. It's not a race, and there's absolutely nothing to prove.
It's simply a safe, welcoming space where women can leave behind the noise, expectations and pressures of everyday life.
A rare opportunity to disconnect from the world and reconnect with themselves, with nature and with one another.
And that is the magic we want to preserve, no matter how big the Secret Swim becomes.

2024 — 5 locations.
2025 — 18 locations.
2026 — 25 locations.

And this year, more than 2,500 women gathered across South Africa. To celebrate life. To embrace their scars. To support those navigating breast cancer. To remember the women no longer with us. And to raise funds to provide breast health education and clinical screenings for underserved women living in communities in need.

Our vision is simple. Secret Swims, all over the World at exactly the same time, on the same date. 

But as the Secret Swim has grown, we have come to understand something very important.
This event is not built by ILoveBoobies alone.
It is built by women who raise their hands.
Women who say, "Yes, I'll be a hostess."
Women who give their time, share their resources, organise venues, rally their communities, bring their friends and make things happen.
Women who take responsibility for creating something meaningful for other women, often without ever expecting anything in return.
Every year we learn. Every year we make changes. We discover what to simplify, what to amplify and how to make the experience better.
There is still so much we want to do, and so much we have yet to learn.
But the one thing we will never lose sight of is that the Secret Swim belongs to the women who make it possible.
To the original Bosom Buddies, thank you for creating something extraordinary and for trusting us to help it grow. Your vision has reached women in places you probably never imagined.
To our hostesses, the women who step forward, take ownership and bring the Secret Swim to life in their communities, you are the reason this event continues to grow.
To every volunteer, supporter and friend who contributes in whatever way they can, your generosity makes an enormous difference.
And to every woman who has joined us in the water, thank you for showing us what courage, acceptance, friendship and living fully really look like.
We went to our first Secret Swim thinking we were attending a small fundraising event.
We walked away with a completely different perspective on life, on women and on what really matters.
And what started on one beach has become something none of us could have imagined.
We are incredibly proud to be part of its journey, and even more grateful to the women who continue to carry it forward.
Here's to the next chapter. South Africa to the World.
With enormous gratitude,
All of us at ILoveBoobies.