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Swimmer #1 - Lesley Zimmerman

I can honestly say it was the best and worst 24 hrs of my life....the only good bit was the sense of achievement but that is huge...well it will be when I've totally recovered.

The worst?...every minute of being on the boat really. !!!

I loved going first. To swim in the pitch black was something sooooo exciting and to jump into the unseen/unknown from a boat, swim to the shore, land on shingle and then do a countdown with the other team's swimmer before running and diving in....amazing fun.

Swimming close to the boat in the pich black with steamed up goggles wasn't easy, especially as it was repositioning itself regualry (or was I swimming off course?) but the water didn't seem cold and it was so different that it was a special leg.

The rest of this writeup is from my personal perspective ....others enjoyed it vey differently...so don't let me put anyone off.....

Even writing this now, next morning, is done with having to take lie-downs in order to see the keys.

After the first swim, I felt rough...yes possibly Sturgeon would have been better...who knows? but the taste of so much salt water made my only drinks of fresh water see daylight. Then once I'd started...it was hard to get another cossie on and stay lying down for long. But going to sleep did offer some restbite.

The second swim was ok too (swimming was the easy bit for me..it was everything else), choppy by this time, more salt water and afterwards....yep...ALOT more of the same. I was soooo glad that I'd only had water for the 24 hrs before hand though, no food. I'd bought lots with me but.....the Maltesers didn't even get opened it was that bad.

That part was when the force 5 came...and even trying to stay in the bunk was hard, things got smashed in the galley and I was freezing and sweating in various amounts. I also got seriously bad cramp in both calves from the cold...luckily on the bunk, not in the water and they are still too pisnful even now, to walk elegantly.

The third swim?....I really really really really did not want to go in. Rough? I was, not so much the sea. I was soooooo dizzy that even with 5 minute countdowns by Emma, I couldn't muster getting up. The thought of it being me to let the whole thing down, in sight of France was immaterial at this point...sorry but ....

Anyway, with the help of Emma - who was ace and gave me a right verbal kicking - and others who had both arms to lift/walk me up top, and everyone else whopassed me hand over hand to the back of the boat where the ladder is, I did get in. And as they all said, the swim was fine. A relief from the dizziness, although I knew I was very cold and seeing double.

When I got out...same same..and for anyone who was at the 2Swim4life...think the end of that.....repeated!!..Couldn't get my head up at all, freezing, cramp again in the calves- helped by an official who put her warm socks on me and tried to straighten my legs.
Then I slept until woken up when we got to Dover. Couldn't see to reply to all your texts last night but thanks you...managed to read and possible send an emotion.  Huge thanks to all online and personally..sorry I couldn't phone you.

Oh and the relief at getting back to the hotel...and finding a loo that didn't move............ there was noway I could attempt a wee on a moving loo, so my baldder has expanded to the size only remembered from pregnacy scan days.No idea why though, can't remember any water staying down.

Excuse all typos, I can't keep upright still long enough to proof read but I have had a lovely hotel bath, washed my hair and nearly look presenatble enough to go for one of their 'eat as much as you want' breakfasts. Thats the plan...but when I smell it, who knows???

Back for (another) lie down first though.

It was an amazing experience, one I feel honoured to have been on - thanks Emma and both teams. Awesome.
 

Swimmer #2 - Alison Bateman

What an experience. Thank you so much for organising it, you are a hero. I have to say I loved the swimming but the boat, not so much. It was the psycodelic yawn that got me also the relay vomit from Sam and me, sorry Sam.

My face has been burned by the wind and sun as I spent all the time I could up on deck to watch the horizon. You were right Emma you do feel better in the sea. I would not have missed it for the world, thank you. See you all at the reunion looking a little less green.

 

 

 

Emma France - Swimmer #3

For me this was a warm up for my solo and a chance to see what it would be like to swim next to ROCO.

I had a fantastic day, maybe because I was one of two swimmers who weren't seasick, but also because I enjoyed my swims.  As is now my routine (thanks to Michelle Macy), I wear nail varnish on my toe nails with an appropriate name (colour is irrelevant).  My choice for this swim was 'Happy Hour' and it rang true to its word!!

For each swim I swam hard - I hope Alison doesn't think I'll swim that fast on my solo!  For my last swim I was told that I might be able to finish it.  France still looked quite a way away to me so I wasn't convinced but I went out at the fastest pace I could - I even used a fast leg kick (don't think I've ever done that before - not even in the pool!)!!  After 10 minutes or so I started to wonder if I had made a mistake!!  I didn't look forwards but I did look at what I could without breaking my stroke and the cliff I could see still seemed a mighty long way away.  But not long after that I saw a few of the swimmers putting their hats on to follow me into the beach so I knew I could hang on.

Before I knew ROCO stopped and I knew I was on my own.  At this point I looked up and there was a beach REALLY close.  I chose a location to head for and went for it.  As I got closer I noticed that there were lots of people on the beach and they had seen us and were starting to gather where I was coming in.  To my right I saw someone with a wetsuit standing - that was the first time that I realised that I could now stand and walk out of the sea.  It's a feeling that's really hard to describe - quite emotional.  I can only imagine what it would be like to have the same experience at the end of a solo.

Once I cleared the water and waved back to the boat - the people on the beach came up and shook hands.  Sissy, Sam and Gary joined me and one of the French men asked if he could take our photo.  I has also swum in with my camera attached to my costume and he also took a photo of us with our camera.  We paused momentarily to pick up a pebble each and then swam back to the boat.  A great experience.

Sissy Gasson - Swimmer #4

My experience, well im still experiencing it, still eating like a horse and sleeping like a student ie hibernation.

Anyhow, i will never forget the amazing will powered people i met on the boat, and what charming personalities and poor Lesley i just wanted to give her a Big Hug, as well as Ally- but if someone said to me, right sissy you have to swim another 5 hours or you go down to the cabins- well the first choice it would be. The support from the lovely lady from Doncaster- im sooo sorry i cannot remember her name head freeze- but OMG her standing at the edge of the boat 24/7 with that wonderful smile got me through and words of encouragement when she must have been so tierd herself!- so thankyou i will never forget this as well as your wonderful mum hugs! thankyou so much.

Whilst in the water, my goggles filled up with tears, the waves seemed to hate- me and the boat was determined to hit me, thats what it felt like. and god what i would have given just to go for a pee! no i wasnt even allowed that privilage, the cold had officially struck me, the words 'sissy!' the relief i knew what this meant! just to get back on board, as the simple mathmatics of counting my strokes seemed to be degree stuff.

So I sat there on the boat, and was rescued by Gary who got me dressed ..the embarrasment yes, but did i care? no i was utterly greatful to get out of the cold..so thankyou Gary, and to Emma who let me slob on them on the top deck on the way back, refusing to miss the opportunity to see how far we had come- whilst looking at my empty sandwich box- with a painful stomach.

Final Thoughts,
Wonderful people, great time, looking foward to the reunion, and bring it on again!

 

Ali Yarmohammad - Swimmer #5

The channel swim was a very interesting experience for me. It helped me to know myself better. I realised that even after throwing up four times (the last time being 10 minutes before my turn to swim), I can still swim 1 hour in a cold choppy water and also do a bit of catching up with the other relay team (according to Emma), and then I can come up on the boat and vomit another 4 times and don’t eat anything, well eat a chocolate and throw that up as well and then go on to do another 1 hour swim in even choppier water than the first time and be able to swim and even almost take over my own boat! I also realised that if I lie down on the deck, it helps me feel a bit better and throw up fewer number of times (something to remember for the people who want to do the channel relay for the first time). And last but not least I never thought that I would enjoy walking on the ground as much as I am enjoying it now. All in all I am so glad that I did it, it was an amazing experience and I would like to say a very big thank you to Emma for all her efforts and her amazing support throughout the relay, she was truly my saviour on the boat, thank you Emma! Also thank you to everybody to make this a fantastic and memorable day.

 

Gary Fagg - Swimmer #6

I felt I was on two relays, one being the one hour relay swimming team and the other being the over-the-side upchucking relay! Whilst the swimming was great and everybody was excellent in the water – the upchucking team were also brilliant, -lead by Ali followed by my Sam and so on. The award for the best sound effects must also go to Ali – Sam and I laughed on the way home at that one!

Thanks very much Emma for inviting me and I loved my couple of stints in the water – I really love it out there in The Channel, and it is truly a passion after this season! Thank you for introducing me to some wonderful people, and I sincerely hope I see you all again. Alas I only saw Lesley smile twice, once before we got on the boat and once when she got off the boat! (Sorry Lesley - I’m sure that is not a true reflection of you!).

As it turned out and regardless of the result, what sticks out in my mind is the return journey after landing in Sangatte. All of us were mulling over the day’s events on the top deck of Roco, sailing into the sunset on a relatively calm sea – beautiful!!