I was pretty sure my feeds no longer had anything nutritious in them, it was just warm squash. I hadn't planned for 29 hours of swimming, I planned for 23 at the absolute maximum, thinking I would only be in for 18 or 19 hours. I was starting to run on empty, the only benefit … Continue reading STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 4
As I watched the sunrise it was a huge mental boost. I had got through the night and since I was expecting to finish late afternoon, I knew the rest of the swim would be in the light with the sunshine on my back. My only concern was last year during my relay swim, when … Continue reading STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 2
On Sunday 20th August, whilst at Folkestone Air show I got the call I had been waiting for. My swim was going to be the following day - Monday 21st August 2023. On the day of my swim Mike arrived at lunch time, this was so we had plenty of time to get all my feeding stuff … Continue reading STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 1
Setting off just after midnight on Sea Satin, a familiar feeling from my relay swim with The Hastings Voluntary Lifeguards channel relay last year. This time, it was different, it was me swimming and me alone. Sea Satin The dream of swimming the English Channel started as a teenager in Hastings, I was part of … Continue reading How it all began…
You know its the night before a race when you find yourself setting multiple alarms starting at 5am with gradually more and more aggressive "get out of bed" messages on each one! Thankfully I had managed to find a lift to Grafham and it was from one of my first open water pupils, Nona, who … Continue reading Grafham Water 5km
Something I have always loved is night swimming, be it in the river, lake or sea; there is nothing else like it and you’ll only understand it if you have done it but I will try to explain. When it is completely dark and you’re entering the water it makes you use your other senses as … Continue reading Cornwall, Day 5 – The Magic of Night Swimming
It was an early (for me) start on Wednesday and we had decided to make it my long swim day. As a result of the temperature (since I am not used to swimming long periods of time in it) we decided to do a split swim. We were aiming for two 3-hour long swims. We … Continue reading A long swim in Looe
Tuesday was another new swim spot - I was loving going to all these different places and basically getting a tour of Cornwall. I enjoyed Loretta pointing things out to me on the drives and I especially enjoyed the views! I was quite tired by now and thankfully had a lay in followed by a very … Continue reading Cawsands and Jellyfish – Day 3
Despite feeling the need to rest after day 1 I had a morning of meetings. It started with a meeting with someone from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire who oversees the Make a Difference Award finalists. We discussed not only the MADA awards but also possible interviews and features that other areas of the BBC may be … Continue reading Cornwall Day 2 – Readymoney Cove
Sunday rolled round and I was actually a little nervous, I had already completed my 6 hour qualifier swim for my channel swim so there was less pressure on me to swim for 6 hours but I was tired and sore after a busy few days. The organiser had found somewhere to borrow a beach … Continue reading Tusker Swim Camp 2023 – The Final Swims
