When I heard the BBC coverage over the possible banning of channel swimming the other day I have to admit, I didn’t take much notice. As a land lover, I didn’t really get the appeal but as luck would have it I’d have the privilege of spending some time with channel swimmer Anna Wardley who would enlighten me as to why anyone would undertake such a mammoth task.
To include all the detail Anna shared with me would turn this blogpost into a blogdissertation so I’ll simply highlight some interesting points instead:
- A channel swim is about 21 miles in length and takes an average of 20 hours to complete
- Anna trained for 9 months to prepare for her swim
- Her preparation involved a combination of sea swims, pool sessions, weight training, runs, bike workouts and physiotherapy
- Channel swimmers must hire a pilot boat at the cost of £2000 (roughly)
- More than 500 vessels pass through the shipping lanes each day
- It is not uncommon to take a hit from a jelly fish (or two) whilst swimming
By the time Anna was finished describing her physical, mental and emotional journey I had a newfound respect for channel swimmers. I was however, still confused as to why she did it. In her own words:
‘I guess it appealed to me as a challenge as it is one of the great feats of human endurance where you are pitted against the elements and Mother Nature. There is also something great about swimming from one country to another across one of the most iconic stretches of water in the world (also one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes). It is seen as the Everest of marathon open water swimming, and the more I found out about it, the more I wanted to do it.’
Can't argue with that.
www.annawardley.com
www.twitter.com/annawardley
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