Oliver Ladbrooke-Davies
Oliver Swims The Channel
Fundraising for Prostate Cymru
Story
January was a Guinness World Record of playing 24 hours of darts. August is hopefully less than 24 hours of swimming as I attempt to doggy paddle from England to France, raising money for Prostate Cymru.
Why am I fundraising for Prostate Cymru?
I won't bore you with a long story - and as far as I'm concerned, any cause worth fundraising for is a worthy cause. Prostate cancer is no different and it's sadly close to my heart.
Why am I swimming the English Channel?
Well I ran 250km across a desert a few years back and raised a few quid. Doing anything less than that would probably be an insult to your hard earned cash ... so I'm swapping sand for sea and am going to try and swim to France.
If you can chuck a couple of quid towards this worthy cause, you're a ledg!
When am I doing it?
2020 was called off for obvious reasons, then last summer my swim was called off 5 times due to adverse weather conditions. My 2022 window was 20 - 29th June, that came and went along with 3 other possible attempts.
Psychologically the wait to get the green light has been torturous, honestly horrid… when I signed up to do this I didn’t think I’d have to wait 24 months, with false starts and a wasted trip to Dover alongside the hardship of not being able to plan for something when you don’t know a start date… but at long, long last we’re on: Sunday 14th August, 01:00hours is time to get wet.
So whilst you’re tucked up in your nice cosy bed, spare a thought for me swimming in the dark!
Can I track/follow you?
Once the attempt starts then you’ll be able to track me via: http://cspf.co.uk/tracking
(Tracking me without donating makes you a dick, don't be a dick... chuck a couple of quid in the pot!)
Hopefully the gang on the boat will be able to post some updates as I'm bobbing along. If you want to send any messages of support/abuse - they're your route.
Some FAQ I've had to date:
Where do you actually swim from? Swims usually start at or near Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe (in between Folkestone and Dover), and aim to finish at or near Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne and Calais).
How far is it? As the crow flies, 21 miles. But thanks to the tide as well as being one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, you don't swim in a straight line.
Are you doing it in a wetsuit? Nope, there are actually some rules and regs to follow in order for it to be a verified attempt... Key rules being: You have to swim in speedos, you can't touch the boat or anyone on it at any point, you have to have a medical beforehand and you have to complete a 6 hour qualifying swim in advance too.
Is anyone else doing it with you? Nope. Mine is a solo attempt in terms of swimming but it's very much a team effort overall. I'm very thankful to have roped in some good friends to help be my support crew on the boat, passing me food & drink throughout.
How long will it take? The fastest ever was just under 7 hours, the slowest almost 29 hours... If I can make it there somewhere in between, I'll be delighted.
Will you use goose fat? Nope, it’s actually a myth that it insulates you, I’ll just be using Vaseline to help fight against chafing.
Has anyone ever died doing it? Sadly yes, and as recently as 2016. Less people have swum the channel than have reached the summit of Everest.