Update: I'm swimming to France again with a team of 4 amazing women, leaving tonight at 11am (16 July 2019).
Fundraising: I've now raised £21,000 over all of the swims I've done, the one way Solent swims, the inaugural two-way Solent swim, my solo Channel swim, and this relay with the Sharketts 222.
September 2017.
I did it! I swam across the English Channel and have so far raised £20,717 over the past few years through long distance swimming and I'm hoping to make it £21k for the 21 miles I swam.
It wasn't easy, I started at 0632 and landed on the French beach at Wissant just before midnight. With challenging conditions for most of the swim, and I got cuaght in the infamous Frencg tides for a few hours a couple of miles away from France, and it took me 17 hours and 23 minutes. I couldn't have done it without my amazing crew, Robert (The Laird) my husband and coach, and freind and swim buddy Ruth Williamson, shore supprt Danny Bunn, my captain and crew of my ilot boat Suva, Neil Streeter and everyone who has swam with me or offered me support in many various ways over the past three years. A solo swim to France is far from a solo effort.
*The full list of over 100 prizes I've collected is at the end of the info below about the swim and all of the charities I'm swimming for. My way of saying thank you and giving something back to everyone who has helped me raise over £10k for the past three swims and for everyone donating to the five charities for the Channel swim.
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Thank you for visiting my fundraising page and helping one of more of the life-changing charities I'm swimming for.Sometime between 28th August and the 4th September 2017 I will set off from Dover and swim 21 miles across the English Channel to France.
I'll be doing this mammoth challenge to raise funds for five charities close to my heart. I lost my dear mum far too young to heart problems, and she also overcome breast cancer, my husband Robert, who also coaches me, has miraculously survived major lung issues, I have friends whose lives have been transformed by having an assistance dog, and I know far too many people who are fighting cancer or friends whose parents have been diagnosed with dementia. This is why I have chosen the 'Fantstic Five' charities.
The Channel is famously unpredictable and one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. I will have a pilot boat alongside me guiding my way, and once I start the swim, I will not be allowed to touch the boat or a person until I step on French sand/rocks. I'm told that more people have climbed Mount Everest than swam the English Channel.
There's a likelihood that the swim will cover many more miles with the tides pushing me sideways as it changes every 6 hours. Most swimmers paths are an 'S' shape because of this. The swim will take around 14 - 16 hours depending on the weather and conditions on the day. I hope that with all my regular training and hard work it will take less, but the Channel is like a wild mistress, so it may take much longer if she becomes tempestuous on the big day. If I miss the infamous French tide it could add hours to the swim as I'm pushed along the coast, if that happens my determination will see me through. .
This year I will be, training regularly every week in the pool, and then I'll start back in the see soon for some dips and then begin upping my training in the sea around April/May, gradually building up my distances back up again in the cold sea. I completed a 6 hour qualifying swim last October in water that was 15 -15.4C, and I will do another 6 hour qualifier this year, as well as some weekends where I'll do 7 & 6 hours swims, and possibly one longer swim of 10 hours. A friend will be taking me out on his boat for some practice out at sea and also some nighttime swims.
As always, I just swim in my swimsuit, cap and goggles, and have no assistance from the thermal qualities and buoyancy of a wetsuit, and they're not allowed under the 'Channel Rules'. Which means I have to keep moving to stay warm and not become hypothermic.
I hope to raise lots for this wonderful charity and all the children they help with life threatening illnesses, so if you can sponsor me I would be very grateful.
And I'll never give up until I reach France! I'll be praying the weather Gods allow me to swim across without too much drama. :-)
Any questions, just ask.
If you want to follow my progress, follow/like me on these links -
www.facebook.com/QuantumofSolent2ReturnoftheTide
Twitter - @DHerridge68
Instagram - @deborahschannelswim
I have 102 Prizes!
For every £5 donated to one of the five charities you get 1 ticket, so donate £20 and get 4 tickets, and so on. I’ll do the prize draw after I’ve returned from swimming to France and my arms work again.
Ameo Powerbreather – Ameo Powerbreather Wave Easy
Stephanie Ancell - bottle of Champagne
Anorak - Kissing Hedgehogs Picnic Pouch & Picnic Rucksack
Katherine Anteney - Vintage Swimmer print Limited Edition 1/10
Aspinal of London - A Large Essential Pouch Bag
Fiona Bettles - A selection of gorgeous homemade raw chocolate
Andy Bennettt - Framed photos x 3 *we might be auctioning these instead
Brutal Events - Two entries to The
Big Brutal Swim and a Hoody
Boden - £50 gift voucher
Boots UK - Scholl Velvet Smooth
Nail Collection Gift set
Buyagift - A Bungee Jump!
Elva Brabham – 2 x Watercolour Paintings
Carey’s Manor Hotel - 2 x Essence of SenSpa Spa Days
Coldpress Juices 3 x cases of juice (8 per case)
Clarins - Eau Dynamisante Gift set
Suzanna Cruikshank @SuzannaSwims - A Guided Swim Adventure in the Lake District
Kirsty Davidson Physiotherapy – a 45 minute deep tissue sports massage
Scott Dawson - The Wight Wolf Challenge 2018 free triathlon entry
Deakin and Blue - Swimsuit of choice from their first collection
Shelby Donoghue @twistedstitches – 3 x Crocheted hats & Beach Huts door stop
Nancy Farmer - Framed Swim Art
Finishing Touches Gift Shop Lee-On-The-Solent – Jewellery Box
Funkita – Speed Racer Goggles
Andrew Fusek Peters - A signed copy of his book ‘Dip’
Gemma Glenton - Bem Bouquets A bouquet of flowers
Julia A Hamilton - Framed Mermaid Paper cut art
Deborah Herridge - Framed landscape photos & mounted prints
High on Bikes – 5 x SIS Sports Gift Sets
Nicky James - Satchel with owl print
Lynn Howarth - Limited Edition Swimmer Print
KEEN – a pair of Keen outdoor shoes
Kinamara – 3 x swim caps
Mike Lewis from ‘Did You Swim Today?’ – A DYST Hoodie
Cath Lowe Photography – A Framed black and white photo
Lala Mahakama @fishoutofwater - Glass Art and an Original Acrylic Painting on canvas
Caitlin Hippity Hoppity Marchant - Vintage Map Butterfly in box frame
Elanor McBay - Knitted Mermaid
Charlie McLeod - Driathlon Robe and a Sports Cloak
Colin S Macleod - St Kilda Swim CD
Moshulu Shoes £20 voucher
New Wave Swim Buoy – 10 x Swim buoys
Outdoor Swimmer Magazine - 1 year monthly subscription to THE best swimmer's magazine
Keri-anne Payne - Signed tow-float from an Olympian!
David Pike Daveisbranchingoutt –
Beautiful hand turned acrylic pen
Quikdri - Adult’s tracksuit and Child’s tracksuit
Jeannie Roberts - Bottle of Champagne
Robie Robes - Classic Robie Robe
Kate Rew Outdoor Swimming Society – A signed Wild Swim book & 2 x OSS Swim caps & Drybags
Seasalt Cornwall - 2 x Jute goody bags
Selkie – 2 x Change Swim Bags
Solent Wood Burners Ltd- Richard Cooke - Solent RIB ride for two
Suunto - Spartan Sports watch
Swim Canary Wharf - 1hour peak one-to one session with Ray Gibbs
Swim HatsCo - Hoody and Sports bag
Swimovate Pool-Mate - Pool-Mate PoolMate2 swim watch
SwimSecure - 2 pink dry bags, 1 pink & 1 orange tow-float
SwimTrek Swimming Holidays - 3 x large Swimtrek towels
SwimQuest Swimming Holidays -
River Arun Swim voucher and goody bag
Votwo Entry for the Votwo Long Swim at Eton Dorney 24/9/17
Adam Walker - Signed Ocean Walker swim hat
John Watson Printmaker www.jawatson.co.uk - Mermaid Reading framed print
Weird Fish Clothing - £100 voucher
The White Horse Dover - Two course lunch for two people
Zoggs UK - Training kit and sports bag
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on 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 for the charity.
