‘We did it! We did it! We did it!’
That’s the only thing running through your mind after swimming the entire length of the English Channel.
It was Sunday the 30th of August 2015, at 12.15 am.
And somehow, all six of us in the Warwick 250 Channel swim team (novice open-water swimmers, with a combined age of 250) had successfully conquered all 35 miles from Dover to Calais.
This had by no means been easy.
We were faced with a daunting 7m tide, and half of this swim was taken on throughout the night, in dark and ugly conditions. And by ‘ugly’, I mean swimming through jellyfish and sewage.
We’d also encountered a huge lightning and thunder storm in Northern France. Not an easy task for expert swimmers, let alone a bunch of rookies who usually just stick to water polo!
Because of the large tide, all in all, we swam the distance in 11 hours and 23 minutes.
Needless to say, we’re now a very happy team of swimmers who are holding our heads high.
So why the hell did we do this?
Well, one of our teammates has a brother, Eddie, who’s currently having treatment for blood cancer. I’m sitting here, telling you what a tough time we’ve had doing a bit of swimming – but it’s nothing compared to what Eddie’s facing.
We desperately wanted to do something to support him with everything he’s going through, and to help the two fantastic causes that are supporting him, too. And so far we’ve managed to raise £10,000 for Anthony Nolan and Teenage Cancer Trust.
Eddie is thrilled with what’s been raised, and the total just keeps climbing up and up.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far – this was a serious life challenge for all of us, as summed up best by Mike on our team:
'This is a massive tick on my bucket list. Honestly, jumping off the back of a small boat at 2.15am in the middle of the English Channel, drenched by wind and rain and lit up by lightning will not be repeated again – that’s for certain. It was really tough!'
How you can help
If you’d like to show your support for Eddie and the boys, please make a donation at www.warwick250.co.uk
Aged 16–30 and in good general health? you can join the Anthony Nolan register and become a potential lifesaver at www.anthonynolan.org/register
