WE SWAM TO FRANCE, what did you do with your Friday?!
After 8 months of cold showers to acclimatise and 10 months of swim training, covering over 25-30kms (20miles) a week in pool and at sea, the cruel sea give us a chance.
At 10.10BST on Friday 29, August 2008 I said, ‘‘see you later Mum'', and took to the English Channel from Samphire Hoe beach, Dover. With Guns'n'Roses Paradise City playing in the background (Nicks swimming song) and the team watching what they too would have to do in only a matter of hours. This is the only time I have ever swam head down non-stop. No need to turn at the end off the pool, look up and see where the team are or the odd shipping hazard. It was just solid swimming.
None of us know how hard it would be going in for the second hour swim, and you do have to be deranged to say this, it was very good fun. I had a carrot in so much as, if I was to swim as fast in my second hour I might make French waters. I was full of beans to find out that it took just 28minutes to hammer into French waters. There were a few obstacles en route. Ferries proved a little annoying, container ships upto 500m (c1400ft) in length didn't seem to want to give was to some mental swimmers either! We all did so much better on our second swims, ''leaving it all in the channel''. It put us in a position where Nick looked sure to power onto the rocks at Cape Gris Nez, northern France during his second swim. The tides turned and I was looking at a third swim into the tide. In I went to a pitch-black night, not being able to see the change between the sea, land or sky. It was all the same pitch black.
12hours 51minutes 48seconds after diving in from Dover, at 23.02BST I ran up a French beach to be joined by my brother Mike. Jubilation, euphoria and then I collapsing on the beach, in that order. Fortunately they don't make you swim back to England, climbing out was hard enough. We had good stocks of champagne, single malt and cigars for the return celebrations. Well done team!! This was the hardest thing I have ever done. I am not even going to attempt to put it into words. All I know is that all old boundaries are broken. Thank you to all who have sponsored me it does mean so much, and if you haven't please do on;
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