Spidey
28-05-2007, 10:37 PM
As you have probably already worked out, Emma loves a challenge, and I am not talking about the 200m Fly. This summer she is taking on what will unquestionably be the biggest challenge of her life to date. She plans to go on a day trip to France without a ferry, train or plane. That's right she plans to swim from England to France! If you'd prefer not to encourage such lunacy, please feel free to stop reading now.
As you are still reading, let me tell you a little more. Sometime between July and September (depending on weather and choices of other swimmers), she will enter the water in Dover wearing only a traditional swimming costume, a swimming cap, and a pair of goggles and a smile and swim until she reaches Cap Gris Nez (or someone forces her to leave the water due to dangerous weather or hypothermia). She's guessing the swim will last between 14 and 18 hours in a water temperature of around 16-18C. During this time she cannot touch the boat or any person. The shortest distance is 21 miles (1,408 lengths of a 25m pool), but the actual distance swum may be much further than this due to the effects of the tides. She fully anticipate to swim some of this crossing in the dark. She will cross 2 shipping lanes, which are known to be the busiest in the world. Other risks include jellyfish, cold and exhaustion.
She has now completed all the mandatory steps to allow her to start this challenge, including arranging a boat and pilot, passing a medical, and completing a 6 hour qualifying swim in 16C. She will do all that she can to maximising my chances of finishing and at the same time recognise that she may not achieve it.
In terms of statistics, we are advised that more people have climbed Everest, than have swum the Channel; also, more people have gone into space than have completed this challenge. The swim is the Everest of swimming.
Clearly she would like to use this challenge to raise money for charity, and if you would like to support her, please follow the link below to go to her just giving website. Alternatively, if you prefer to make a pledge in the traditional way based on your success criteria, please feel free to email her. If you know of any company who would like to provide corporate sponsorship to this event, please let her know.
http://www.justgiving.com/emma-channel-07
She is in the process of creating a website to provide further information and updates, and hopefully will also reflect real time updates on the day. The address will be www.emma2france.com <http://www.emma2france.com/>, and should be up and running in the next month or so.
As you are still reading, let me tell you a little more. Sometime between July and September (depending on weather and choices of other swimmers), she will enter the water in Dover wearing only a traditional swimming costume, a swimming cap, and a pair of goggles and a smile and swim until she reaches Cap Gris Nez (or someone forces her to leave the water due to dangerous weather or hypothermia). She's guessing the swim will last between 14 and 18 hours in a water temperature of around 16-18C. During this time she cannot touch the boat or any person. The shortest distance is 21 miles (1,408 lengths of a 25m pool), but the actual distance swum may be much further than this due to the effects of the tides. She fully anticipate to swim some of this crossing in the dark. She will cross 2 shipping lanes, which are known to be the busiest in the world. Other risks include jellyfish, cold and exhaustion.
She has now completed all the mandatory steps to allow her to start this challenge, including arranging a boat and pilot, passing a medical, and completing a 6 hour qualifying swim in 16C. She will do all that she can to maximising my chances of finishing and at the same time recognise that she may not achieve it.
In terms of statistics, we are advised that more people have climbed Everest, than have swum the Channel; also, more people have gone into space than have completed this challenge. The swim is the Everest of swimming.
Clearly she would like to use this challenge to raise money for charity, and if you would like to support her, please follow the link below to go to her just giving website. Alternatively, if you prefer to make a pledge in the traditional way based on your success criteria, please feel free to email her. If you know of any company who would like to provide corporate sponsorship to this event, please let her know.
http://www.justgiving.com/emma-channel-07
She is in the process of creating a website to provide further information and updates, and hopefully will also reflect real time updates on the day. The address will be www.emma2france.com <http://www.emma2france.com/>, and should be up and running in the next month or so.