Just a quick not to thank everyone for your support over the last year

 

I did complete the swim in 14hours 35 min, but the time is unimportant the only thing that matters is I made it to France.

 

I started swimming at midnight and swam in the dark flat sea to the sunrise at 6.30. The sea got a bit choppy Mid Channel which slowed me down but it flattened as I approached France. I landed near the Cap Blanc.

  

Now for the gory bit – I was unable to hold any food or drink down (vomiting from 4am to 10am) and was becoming weaker and dehydrated. The support crew tried various concoctions and eventually after 6 hours came up with a high-energy drink I could hold onto, Black tea with Carbohydrate powder and Honey. With this I could keep the painkillers down. Without the support team I would not have made it. My tongue is a bit sore due to being is salt water for 14 hours and I expect the top to peal off soon. 

 

However never has an Englishman been this happy to step onto French Soil. The French couple sunbathing on the beach got a shock when I marched up the beach doing my victory dance only to fall on my bum in a gelatinous mess. They did ask where I had come from – “Inglaterre” – they were a bit surprised but happy for me though I did hear “les Inglese sont Fou”

 

On the weight issue some people loose 15 pounds / 6kg - I weighed myself before and after and managed to loose no weight at all, not one ounce / gramme.

 

One thought to take away – during the swim I could not keep any painkillers in so my shoulders were really sore and swimming was difficult. Well the morning before the swim I went to the Paralympics and saw the elite athletes doing their events. One event I saw the T43 Long-jump (those without arm, Impaired arm, prostatic arm) and I thought My pain is temporary these athletes live with their disability and pain and are prepared to get out there in front of 80k people. I told myself to Man up, shut up and get on with it. It worked the pain subsided and I got on with it.

 

Finally on the swim to shore I remembered the song lyric “What did you do today to make you feel proud” Well yesterday I swam to France and it did make me feel proud – not just for one day but for always.

 

Thank you for your encouragement and donations to the charity.