Our Story
We’re a small, passionate team brought together by a love of swimming, technology, friendships and personal well-being. Get to know our story: the people behind our events and app and discover what drives us every day....
From champions to changemakers
We are Stephan Caron — Olympic medallist, world‑class competitor and 30‑time French champion — Laurent Neuville, former captain of the French national team and Olympic finalist, Harald Eltvedt, experienced swimmer and entrepreneur, and Sophie Reinauld, media‑savvy professional and environmental advocate. We share more than a love for water; we share a vision: to open up the beauty and challenge of open‑water swimming not just to elite athletes, but to every swimmer.
What our 4 founders say
Stephan Caron
Co-founder of OpenSwim
Stephan successfully combined an elite swimming career with a career in international finance, moving from the pool to senior roles at GE Capital and BlackRock. Three-time Olympian, he won 2 bronze medals in the 100m freestyle at the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. He is also a World Championship silver medalist, a European champion, and earned more than thirty French national titles.
After graduating from ISG and ESCP, Stephan prepared for his transition beyond competitive sport while still competing at the highest level. In 2013, he co-founded OpenSwim with the goal of making swimming more accessible, promoting its lifelong health benefits, and helping swimmers of all abilities improve through guidance from champions and expert coaches. His vision remains driven by performance—whether in competition, personal progress, or achieving individual goals through tailored training plans.
Laurent Neuville
Co-founder of OpenSwim
Laurent has dedicated his life to swimming. A former captain of the French national team, two-time Olympian, and specialist in freestyle and butterfly, he has remained deeply involved in the sport as a leading figure in Masters swimming and open-water swimming.
As co-founder of OpenSwim in 2013, he has worked to develop open-water swimming across France, with the goal of making the sport accessible to everyone in safe and environmentally responsible conditions. A strong advocate for reopening the Seine to swimmers, he has also contributed to projects led by the City of Paris, including Paris Plages and the preparation of the 2024 Olympic Games. Since 2025, OpenSwim participants have had the opportunity to swim in the French capital’s iconic river.
Harald Eltvedt
Co-founder of OpenSwim
Harald is an entrepreneur driven by innovation, technology, and swimming. A French-American with Norwegian roots, he founded and developed several tech companies across Europe, the United States, and Asia before joining Standard Chartered, where he now contributes to financial innovation.
A former French junior backstroke champion, he has continued competing throughout his life, taking on major open-water challenges such as crossing the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar. As a co-founder of OpenSwim, he combines his entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for swimming, helping to develop events, a personalized training app, and AI-powered solutions designed to support swimmers of all levels in achieving their goals.
Sophie Reinauld
Co-founder of OpenSwim
Sophie is a French entrepreneur specializing in media, communications, and investment. As the head of Sorio Group and L’Agence, she has supported major companies and built several businesses across France, the United States, and Singapore.
As a co-founder of OpenSwim, she brings expertise in strategy, communications, and business development, helping to structure the project, expand its visibility, and strengthen its partnerships. Committed to the values of sport, well-being, and environmental responsibility, she promotes accessible participation in sport while raising awareness of the importance of protecting water resources.
Our mission
From the very start, our aim has been more than performance. We believe in:
ACCESSIBILITY
Swimming should be for everyone, regardless of background or skill.
COMMUNITY
Open‑water events and our app bring people together — swimmers, friends, families.
ENVIRONMENT
Raising awareness about water, protecting our environment, and connecting swimming with nature.
HEALTH & JOY
Supporting physical wellbeing, mental balance, and the joy of being in water.
The beginning - big swims, big ambition
That vision took shape in 2014, when we launched our first open‑water competition — including a major “swim star” type event in Singapore — bringing together top swimming talent (Adam Peaty, Fabien Gilot, Kosuke Kitajima, Katinka Hosszú, Jason Lezak, Nathan Adrian, Ben Proud and more) and everyday swimmers, all drawn by a shared love of the water. Our aim was not just to host races, but to create a movement — to turn swimming into shared experiences, adventures, and a celebration of water and community.
Guided by our decades of competitive experience and understanding of what makes a great swim — safety, fair challenge, excitement, camaraderie — we built events that welcomed swimmers of all levels, from total beginners to seasoned athletes. Over time, our events expanded across France, Singapore, Switzerland, and beyond.
Growing the community beyond events
But our story didn’t stop at organised events. We wanted to democratise access and make open‑water swimming — and training for it — available to everyone. That’s how the idea for an app was born.
In 2022, we launched the training app that became the heart of our vision for inclusive swimming. With our combined knowledge — elite training methods from Stephan, Laurent and Harald, and community-building and communication expertise from Sophie — the app offers structured training plans, data tracking, coaching guidance, and encouragement.
Now, regardless of where you are — beginner or advanced, sea, river, lake, or pool, solo swimmer or aspiring competitor — you can benefit from our expertise and be part of a global swimming community.
Today, our legacy lives in every swim, every plan, every lap — and in every swimmer who discovers their passion for water through OpenSwim.
Our core team
Meet our day-to-day team at OpenSwim.
If you have a unique idea and believe you could help shape our growth, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Oli Lacigova
Chief Executive Officer
A passionate triathlete and mum of two, Oli has over 15 years of experience helping tech companies grow. Hands-on and driven, she loves rolling up her sleeves and making things happen.
Laurent Neville
President, Director of OpenSwim Events
Former captain of the French national team and Olympic finalist, Laurent is the power behind the success of our OpenSwim events.
Manon Biscaras
Communication and Event Manager
Passionate about sport and sporting events, Manon contributes to the organisation of our events, and helps with communication, content creation, and community engagement.
Cléa Moulin
Communication & Marketing Manager
From ultra-distance events to professional clubs and outdoor sports brands, Cléa helps organizations grow their visibility and recognition through strategic communication, marketing, and content creation.