Story
Between 22nd June and 1st July 2023, our six-person relay team, Oceans 23, will be taking on the formidable 21-mile stretch of water that lies between Dover and Calais. As part of our Channel swim, we will be raising money for the British Heart Foundation in a bid to help support their important cardiovascular research.
£2,100 target to represent £100 for every mile we swim!
The Oceans 23 team
Swimmers
- Alison North (Captain)
- Dee Hogwood
- Emma Cooper
- Gemma Fairhurst
- Richard Randle
- Andrew Cornwell
Coach ─ Brian Alborough
Pilot of the Anastasia boat ─ Eddie Spelling
Background
Despite all of us being members of the Ashford Tri Club, it wasn't until the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns that we were all brought closer together and the idea of tackling this crazy feat was first discussed.
“Covid separated loved ones, families and communities, but it also brought strangers together. The daily sea swims were a break from the harsh realities of the pandemic, and as a result, it kept us sane,” said Oceans 23 swimmer, Gemma Fairhurst.
Captain Alison North added, “Casting my mind back to February 2021, on a snow-covered beach talking about my previous channel swim, the plan was born…Oceans 23 born and now the last preparations for our channel challenge.”
“So here we are, six not so young friends have come together to conquer the channel.
In all weathers, we have swum together, shivered together, laughed together and eaten many a cake together. Next stop…swimming to France together.”
Our team have been training for around three years for this challenge by swimming regularly at the Dover and Ashford master’s sessions, as well as frequently visiting both Hythe and Dover Harbour to practice our sea swimming. The whole team have previously competed in various other swimming challenges and races individually including the Dock2Dock and Serpentine swims in London.
For our swimmers Alison and Dee, it will be their second time tackling the aquatic challenge having both previously completed the channel swim in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Andrew also has a prior connection to the swim with his grandad Reg Thomas rowing alongside Eileen Fenton, when she won the first Daily Mail Channel race in 1950.
The Oceans 23 team are determined to complete the challenge and in doing so raise money for the British Heart Foundation, a great cause close to all of our hearts, especially swimmers Alison and Andrew. Early this year, Alison’s husband discovered that he had an irregular heartbeat four weeks before competing in the Brighton Marathon, whilst Andrew has in recent years also had to overcome his own heart-related issues. Having had various ECG, MRI and CAT scans in late 2018, he was eventually diagnosed with dilated Cardiomyopathy - a disease which enlarges and weakens the muscle walls and prevents the heart from pumping blood around the body properly. The condition was closely monitored by doctors and treated with prescribed medication until November 2020, when he was given a clean bill of health.
Help us to raise money for the British Heart foundation, an amazing charity. Any donation will go a long way in helping improve and save the lives of families and loved ones across Britain.
Life is precious and we never know what is in store for us.
Thank you!