In the second of the monthly blog series, Simon Gresswell updates us on recent swims, events entered and sponsorship developments around The English Channel Relay Swim 2022, in aid of The Light Fund.
With regular forays into pools, lidos, rivers, waterways and seas various across the country, I am pleased to report that the Channel Swim Relay group continues to prepare in earnest and good spirits, as water temperatures were on the rise gradually through June. Unheated lidos still remained fresh and certainly refreshing for some early morning laps.
Although the temperatures rose, the swim frequency increased and all swims merged into one watery memory, it soon became clear to two gentlemen of a certain age – namely Messrs Gould and Gresswell (or Wee Hof and Beaver as they are now known) – that they needed to decrease the number of Full Monty brekkers they were rewarding themselves with post swim.
Bucks-based members Wee Hof, Beaver and Sir Gripper (Mark Kingston… you’ll need to ask him) ventured regularly to Taplow Lake, near Maidenhead, on weekend mornings and a few weekday evenings, for a few laps of the 400m triangle in somewhat balmy, weedy, bluey water (thanks to the algae dye) seen below on one of the better June mornings.
The Three Bucksateers also took regular Thames swims on the weekends with Stephen’s buddies from the HOWSC and managed a 5km downstream swim early one Saturday, finishing in the wonderful Hurley… and then a giant brekker of course.
Anne Bradford continued her typical no nonsense approach to work, rest and play, combining lido training and personal swim-coaching with lake swims aplenty. That and continuous updates of our burgeoning sponsorship document and tally, driven almost in its entirety so far by the silky sales skills of Mark Kingston, but with some other exciting creative developments in recent days, that will be revealed in the July blog.
Katie Price and Mark Bezodis plied their acquatic trade in similar reaches of the Thames near Hampton Court and also both ventured west to Henley (for the Henley Classic) and Taplow Lake respectively, where Mark B picked up his nickname.
Before the early summer swim events started to kick in, a window opened for a few of us to attempt the Channel Swimming & Pilots Association compulsory qualifier swim at Durley Chine, Bournemouth.
Accompanying Stephen early very one Saturday for what was a double qualifier for him (Jersey to France, this month and the Channel Relay in 22), Anne, Katie, Mark and I were all able to take the plunge and join him in the 90 mins + 60 mins swims, with an hour out in between.
Conditions were pretty favourable and we all qualified, despite some timing and distance issues for Anne and myself! Before and after pics always tell a story, but on this occasion plenty of smiles before and after!
Per the previous brief mention, the Henley Classic is an annual upstream swim along the length of the Regatta course. An iconic location indeed, but a tough swim when there has been recent rainfall and the starting waves head off from dawn onwards, following a laser track down the course to the finish near the bridge in Henley.
The conditions presented no problem for the mighty Wee Hof, as he powered home second in the skins category. Katie and I joined him cheekily on the podium, once the medal ceremony was complete!
Kevin Langstaff entered the Great North Swim at Windermere for his first taste proper of an OWS event and got invaluable learning and mileage in for the ongoing training and approaching original qualifier date of 4 July.
For those who don’t know Kevin, he is simple remarkable… recovering from life/mobility-threatening injury when he was young and now an inspiration in his application to this huge challenge. He also has a huge beard to scare off jellyfish and loves craft beer, what’s not to like?
This month’s blog rounds off with more news on the qualification front, with the remainder of the swim group gathering early on the morning of US Independence Day on the beach in Bournemouth. Nervous laughter filled the air, as swim suits, hats, goggles and Vaseline were strategically donned. Kevin, Anna, Rhys, Tas, Jason, Mark B and Ian took to the waves (yes there were waves) with support swimmers Anne, Stephen and I, thrilled about the lumpy sea, not!
I’m pleased to confirm that with some sterling effort and the help of chocolate squidgees at half-time, everyone qualified. While there is still a year’s hard training to go, this was a pleasing step, for everyone to pass this initial test…more happy punters below, in the pouring rain that greeted our exit from the water after the second stint.
The English Channel Relay Swim in aid of The Light Fund is due to take place between 30 June and 3 July, 2022. For full details on the sponsorship opportunities, you can contact Stephen Gould, Mark Kingston, Simon Gresswell or Anne Bradford by clicking on their respective names. Everything you need to know about the swim can also be found by clicking here.
