David's Gibraltar Strait swim
David Owen is raising money for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Story
If the weather lets us, between 8 and 15 April Martyn Webster and I are going to attempt a tandem swim of the Gibraltar Strait. For anyone who has had the good fortune to not have to listen to me rabbit on about it, the Gibraltar Strait is part of the 'Oceans 7' series of swims. We start from Tarifa in Spain and aim for the closest part of Morocco. Opinions are divided on distance but the Strait is roughly 15 - 17km wide. It's April so even though its the Med the water is unlikely to be above 15c. We are swimming in accordance with English Channel swimming rules which means no wetsuits allowed! There is some wildlife in the Strait (dolphins, whales and the odd shark) which means that I am currently torn between putting on enough weight to help with the cold and trying to not look too much like a hairy seal :)
We will be supported by a pilot boat and smaller RIB from which we will take fluids approximately every hour. I'm hoping to be done in less than four hours - we will have to swim quickly to cut across the Atlantic current as it rushes in to the Mediterranean. No doubt me and Martyn will be able to encourage each other as we swim across but we will also have to deal with each other's varying ability to swim in a straight line (surprisingly hard) and try not to push each other too hard too soon.
I am challenging myself to complete this swim to raise money for
CALM. The biggest killer of men under the age of 45 is themselves. This is a shocking statistic and CALM work to support men who feel depressed or suicidal via a crisis helpline and other resources. They also seek to challenge the cultural barriers that prevent men asking for help when they need it and support those bereaved by suicide.
I have chosen to try to raise £1200 as this is the cost of keeping their helpline open for one night, during which they can receive upwards of 200 calls. All donations are massively appreciated, whatever their size.
We will be supported by a pilot boat and smaller RIB from which we will take fluids approximately every hour. I'm hoping to be done in less than four hours - we will have to swim quickly to cut across the Atlantic current as it rushes in to the Mediterranean. No doubt me and Martyn will be able to encourage each other as we swim across but we will also have to deal with each other's varying ability to swim in a straight line (surprisingly hard) and try not to push each other too hard too soon.
I am challenging myself to complete this swim to raise money for
CALM. The biggest killer of men under the age of 45 is themselves. This is a shocking statistic and CALM work to support men who feel depressed or suicidal via a crisis helpline and other resources. They also seek to challenge the cultural barriers that prevent men asking for help when they need it and support those bereaved by suicide.
I have chosen to try to raise £1200 as this is the cost of keeping their helpline open for one night, during which they can receive upwards of 200 calls. All donations are massively appreciated, whatever their size.