<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Dear all, <div></div> <div>I made it!&nbsp;</div> <div></div> <div>The support team (Mum, Dad and brother Henry) fed me with hot porridge in the morning and we got ourselves down to the start line to find a few hundred people hopping around trying to get into wetsuits and cramming themselves full of energy bars. After changing in a nearby field and pulling on my red swimming hat we were off, plunging into the water like ducklings and trying to catch our breath as the cold hit us...</div> <div></div> <div>After ten minutes the river wound its way quietly through forest. Unable to see through the murky water I swam into the odd submerged tree and collided with some of my fellow swimmers... but I got into my stroke and 4k came by fairly quickly. By 6k I was getting cold and needed to step it up to stay warm then arrived at the 8k feeding station. Again like ducklings, red hats bobbed around a dingy and were fed lucozade and chocolate biscuits. The support team was on the bank and it was great to see them waving and encouraging me on. At the end of the race we swam amongst the boats in the harbour and then, rather undignified, had to wade with wobbily legs through mud and silt to reach the finish line!</div> <div></div> <div>Apart from some savage wetsuit rub I'm still intact, and recommend the swim hugely to whoever would like to give it a go! Thanks partly to the tide I did it in 2hours 8mins.</div> <div></div> <div>A huge thank you to everyone who's donated to Freedom From Torture, and a final call for anyone who would like to support victims of torture who are being treated here in the UK. I'll be closing the account at the end of this weekend - so jump on this link before you forget!</div> <div></div> <div>http://www.justgiving.com/Fergus-Dingle</div> <div></div> <div>All the best,</div> <div></div> <div>Fergus</div> </span></p>