Introduction

At the end of September 2024, I’ll be attempting to swim the English Channel from England to France! It’ll be a solo swim under CSA (Channel Swimming Association) rules, which means I’ll be swimming on my own, with no wetsuit and no stopping or touching the support boat.

I’m swimming to raise money for Fugro’s chosen charity of the year, the Alzheimer’s Society (https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/). The Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, providing support and hope to people living with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and is characterised by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. It’s a disease that is particularly challenging for those suffering with the disease, but also for close family and friends providing support. My grandmother suffered from severe dementia before her passing several years ago and I remember it being a particularly difficult time for our family. I know many friends and colleagues who have had similar situations. It would be incredible if you could sponsor my Channel swim and raise money for this fantastic cause, helping to reduce the impact of dementia for all.

The English Channel

The English Channel is the stretch of water which separates southern England and northern France. At its narrowest point, the straight-line distance between the two coasts is 21 miles (34 km). My swim will start in Dover, and if successful, finish somewhere near Wissant (west of Calais).

The Strait of Dover (the narrowest part of the English Channel) is considered to be the busiest maritime route in the world, so I'll need to avoid the 400 vessels passing daily. I will be escorted by a dedicated pilot boat, called Pathfinder, for the duration of my swim.

The Swim

The rules of the swim are very simple. Walk down the beach in Dover, swim across the English Channel without touching the support boat, and walk up the beach in France (or touch a cliff if there is no beach). I am allowed to pause for drinks and snacks, but I must tread water whilst doing so.

As for equipment, it's just a swim hat, goggles and speedos. Wetsuits are not permitted by CSA rule (https://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/).

I'm hoping to complete the swim in around 12 hours, but this is largely dependent on the sea state and weather conditions on the day. Sea sickness and jellyfish are also a problem.

Swim Training

I started open water swimming in 2017 as an activity to complement my busy work at Fugro and family life at home. I immediately enjoyed the competitive swims and I entered progressively longer and harder events.

Below, 200+ swimmers tackle the the Firth of Forth Crossing under the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. I won the event in 2018 and 2019 (and set the course record)

Mid-race photo shoot during the 2019 Windermere End to End (17 km) race

Hectic start to the 2023 Scottish National Championships 10 km

After winning most of the events I entered in 2022, I decided I needed a harder challenge...the obvious answer was the English Channel, the pinnacle of open water swimming. Throughout 2023 and 2024 I focused all my training towards this goal, which meant lots of swimming, including regular 20 km swims in recent months.

20 km morning swim whilst on holiday in Luxembourg (Strava)

Cold Water Acclimatisation

In addition to the actual swimming of the English Channel, the challenge of the cold water is just as difficult. For my swim, the water temperature will likely be around 18°C, which is nice for a short dip, but less comfortable after 10 hours of exposure. I have spent 2 years acclimatising to the cold. I started cold showers every day in 2023. In 2024 I moved on to daily cold baths. Plus lots of cold water swimming without wetsuit of course!

Morning session in the cold tub in February 2024 (I had to brake the ice with a hammer first!)

Cold morning on Ullswater (5°C air temperature, 15°C water temperature) shortly before an 8-hour training session

Thanks

A huge thank you to everyone who is sponsoring me! Thank you to family, friends and colleagues for your words of encouragement! I've been blown away by the amount of interest and support, particularly from the team at Fugro Aberdeen and everyone at home in Methlick!

Shout out to my training partner, Eilidh Prise, 3 times Celtman winner (https://cxtri.com/), for many hard sessions in the pool.

Special thanks to my training team (my old high school friends), Nick Stevenson, Sam Crowder and David Corrie-Close for support on the big training weekends, and for accompanying me on the day in the support boat.