As a team of 4 we embark on the largest physical and mental
challenge of our lives - swimming the English Channel this September. 

Andy, Bod, Zerrin and Tim. 

Swimming has played a big part in all our lives. 

We all met via swimming under the expert coaching of Adam Walker - the Ocean Walker Technique - having learned not only how to swim properly (...effortlessly!) but taken confidence and life lessons from Adam's experience of his Oceans 7 Challenge.

● Andy is team captain and brought us together. He has swum all his life and can't remember a time when he didn't swim. He enjoys the freedom of open water. It keeps him fit and allows him to escape the stress of daily life, putting things into perspective. He is worried about swimming in deep water and in the dark - both of which he will have to deal with.

● Zerrin grew up in Turkey and always wanted to be a professional swimmer. As a child she tried to join a swim club and the coach after watching her said "she is weak, overweight and she doesn't have the right structure to be a swimmer." Not being good enough scarred her, but also made her want to prove THIS GIRL CAN. She did a full ironman last year, is joining us for the Channel in September, an ironman in Austria a week later and an ironman in South Africa in November. 

● Bod has swum all his life and also can't remember a time when he didn't swim. It helps his mental well-being and is the fastest in the team.

● Tim has always enjoyed being in water and learned to scuba dive before being properly able to swim. He learned front crawl 4 years ago after his firm sponsored paralympic triathelete Andy Lewis through  to winning gold in Rio. Andy has mentored Tim since then starting with sprint triathlons and  building up to endurance swim events, but the Channel and Windermere will be his biggest challenges to date. Swimming has helped him with anxiety and stress-related conditions.

So we gear up to swim our first Ocean as a team and with your help will be raising money for St Mungo's - ending homelessness and rebuilding lives.

An English Channel relay is a real feat for body and mind - we will be swimming non stop as a team of four taking turns of an hour each.
Leaving Dover in early September and hoping to arrive on a French beach roughly 14 hours later!  Dealing with swimming at night, strong currents and tides, "less than warm" sea temperatures, floating debris, sea sickness, huge tanker ships and the odd Jellyfish and Great White Sharks (none of this is exaggerated)!  As are the Channel swimming rules, no wetsuits are allowed... trunks/swim suit, silicon hat, goggles and a little bit of vaseline between us and the elements and wildlife!

This challenge marks years of training for us all - learning the new Ocean Walker way, non stop drills, open water training, winter dips,
night swimming, low temperature acclimatisation, many many early mornings jumping in the sea, Jellyfish stings (not so bad, so far!) & the 2 hour qualification swim in 15 degree water.

But more than anything your support will help us keep going
when it gets tough out there in the Channel and all donations will be going to a fantastic cause...

St Mungo's are busier than ever since the start of COVID and
need our support as the homeless who were sheltered in hotels during lockdown are returned to the streets.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted
emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.

Thank you,

Tim, Andy, Zerrin and Bod