Olympic open water swimmer Alex Meyer finds clarity on Stiles Pond.
Gliding through the deep blue waters of Massachusett’s picturesque lakes transcends fitness for Olympic open water swimmer Alex Meyer—it’s freedom. “Don’t get me wrong, I like swimming in the pool,” says 29-year-old Meyer, who competed in the 10k at the 2012 London Games. “There is something that I really enjoy about looking at the clock and trying to bring down your time, comparing yourself to what you’ve done in a quantitative way. But it’s not nearly as free-feeling as swimming in a lake or a pond or an ocean.”