On Sunday I will brave the elements with my 3 friends and take part in the Padstow to Rock swim – 1 mile! Frankly we are starting to get very nervous. 
This week sees our final training swims. We kicked off with a sea swim at Camber sands, under the watchful eye of our friend Eva and Nettle, the dog. It was a grey day with a ½m swell and a brisk force 3 on-shore wind. We swam for 45 minutes, our bottoms high, buoyed up by wet suits and salt water! Swimming in the waves is so much more difficult than still water and we are practising our side stroke, as this seems to cut through the water better and allows for resting of a tired neck. 

We followed this up with some interval training at Tonbridge pool. Swimming in a pool without the second skin is really easy now, so we must have improved. We charged up and down the pool, only slightly dismayed by a “man from Atlantis” who seemed to be under the water more than on it. 
We have a final session at my lake today...a final goodbye to the carp and algae. 
We start making our way down to Cornwall on Friday. 

The actual swim will be in the late afternoon on Sunday July 1 . It is timed to be at slack tide. There will be several hundred taking part and lots of support boats etc to help shepherd us across. They are very strict though, and can hook you out if you look as though you won’t make it in the hour. We are all desperate to avoid the hook!! 

I’ll let you know how we get on. 

Thank you so much to those who have sponsored me so far for this great cause.