The beginning….. or is it.
Committing to taking on ‘the big swim’, I made a conscious effort to get into the right shape to swim the Channel.
What is the right shape (I hear you ask)?
Looking at a lot of endurance swimmers, & many of the successful swimmers to make it between the UK and Mainland Europe, you may comment that they don’t really resemble the typical athletes of other land based sports, or even anywhere near the physique of lean ripped pool swimmers.
Many have gained reserves of fat in a variety of places to prepare them for a long exposure to the English Channel. So for many, a top tip is to build up the right insulation & available energy to fit your needs.
After all, have you ever seen a dolphin with a six-pack?
My early start as a Water Baby
Learning to swim before I could properly walk, water was always a big part of my life. As a child, I used to eagerly wait until ‘Pool day’ to visit the local swimming baths, during which I used to see just how far I could swim underwater, & how long I could hold my breath. I did all the usual 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 1km, 5km, 10km badges and challenges,and even remember doing a 25km challenge, taking the whole day! I certainly got my money’s worth from that visit!
Swimming, Scuba Diving, & Highboard Diving
Swimming continued to be a big part of my life, as I went to study Marine Biology (along with molecular & microbiology) at university, involving a lot of scuba diving. Discovering the diving boards at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, coach Bill Law took me under his wing. Spending 8 hours a day, 7 days a week (rarely taking a day off), I combined diving with my university classes, often studying a the poolside, and trying to learn while remaining focused. Soon, I found my way into the National High & Springboard Diving team. In 1994, I was offered a scholarship to dive at the University of South Carolina, with hopes for the Atlanta Olympics. My future looked so promising that nothing else by diving seemed to matter. My life in water, doing something I was passionate about gave my whole existence purpose.
The best laid plans of Mice and Men
After a highboard diving accident in 1994, my future plans were all thrown, and I had to completely re-consider the direction of my life. No longer did I have time for swimming as I previously had, as life took over.
To Swim or Not to Swim
In early 2008, I had incorporated swimming into my daily routine, getting up early, & swimming at the pool every day, before heading off to work. I was attempting to refine my technique to be as elegant & energy efficient as I could, & it was clear to me that any distance in the pool remained no obstacle. Always pushing my boundaries I wanted to set myself a challenge.
Not one to do things by halves, a friend, & winner of many Ironmans worldwide asked me if I wanted to do a triathlon, and maybe an Ironman. Although a lover of cycling, I decided this wasn’t for me, & said that I wanted to focus on the water. He joked about doing the Channel. Back home, I looked up what was involved, & fell in love with the challenge, & just what was involved. Suddenly, my swimming had a real purpose. One I had not felt since 1994.