The first weekend of the swimming season in Dover! This is my fourth season training in Dover but the first one of which I haven't been specifically working towards a big swim of my own. And it's the first year I've been down to Dover accompanied by 19 kids. Instead I'm taking a break this season to concentrate on working with a group of young swimmers who want to swim to France in a Channel relay (well, potentially two relays).
This is them (and me) on the beach before the start of training
Clissold Swimming Club is a Hackney based kids swimming club. Last year the club's coach, Greg McNeill, asked me if I wanted to get involved in getting the swimmers in the club to do a Channel relay. I said I would on condition that it was not in a pool, but was the real thing... There are 19 swimmers training with the hope of being part of the two teams who are going to attempt to swim the Channel. We only have room for two teams, which means a total of 12 swimmers and 2 reserves. Each individual relay team constitutes 6 swimmers who will, in turn, swim for an hour each until they make land. Each swimmer may have to swim 2, or 3, or more, one hour stints until they reach France.
Since hatching the plot last summer the club has duly booked two boats - number 4 on the tide of the 25 - 31 July and the kids and parents alike have spent much time raising £10 000 for the swim fees, boats and miscellaneous other costs.
It's brilliant helping them prepare for the swim. Some of them are shy and awkward, some extrovert, some charming, some annoying or gobby. No matter what their personality on dry land, when they get in the water and start to swim, they have a fantastic focus and discipline that is great to see. They all have committed a hundred per cent to the swim.
The plan is to have them train in Dover every other weekend between now and the end of July to get them acclimatised to the cold water and the sea conditions. The other weekends we will train in cold water somewhere in London or surrounds. From that we will work out who can hack the cold and the distance and from that we will form two teams to swim to France!
Saturday 3rd May
What better start to the season than blue sky, warm temperatures and virtually flat calm sea. It was like being on holiday but with shingle and tea in polystyrene cups. 19 kids and assorted parents and supporters congregated on the beach to start their training. On the other side of the small concrete wall various Channel aspirants gathered to start their solo training - and were given training plans by Freda. In total the merry band was something near 60 adults and 19 kids sploshing around in mind numbingly cold water...
I dispatched our squad of swimmers off for a 15 minute swim. The plan was to swim between the 'lampposts' that mark the ends of the breakwaters, inside of which a swimmer should not venture unless they want a toasting from Freda and a laceration from a rusty bit of corrugated steel. Accompanying them were 2 safety kayaks and 3 experienced Channel swimmers for support. I set off to swim with them too, but spent most of the swim bobbing around amongst them, treading water, and just watching what they were doing. Fascinating.
I'm so proud of them - they all managed to swim for the allocated time with a minimum of fuss, although keeping their heads in the water may be a bit of an issue (it's hard to put your head in when the water is cold). Will definitely have to work on that one. I thought that they might be freaked out by the murky depths but not a bit of it. A couple of the swimmers complained about the taste of the salt, but that was as far the complaining and protestations went.
An hour of warming up was followed by a second - 20 minute - swim. Again this was completed by all. Some strong swims by a couple of the boys particularly, while the girls had a tendency to swim in a pack. Safety in numbers. Will have to watch out for that - as out in the Channel it obviously won't be an option to swim with a pal. I have to find some way to make them feel slightly more vulnerable (without them being so) and see how that affects them. Hmmm.
All warmed up well and were laughing and joking whilst shivering afterwards. And a parent even offered me an espresso in a proper espresso cup, made on the beach. Now we're talking. Best coffee I've ever had in Dover!
I seem to remember that my first ever swim in Dover was like this: sunny, fun, relaxing. And I thought - wow, this seems more like a day out than hard training. Little was I to know. Ideally - without being too cruel - some bad rough weather and rain will hit us soon, and we can see even more what an amazing journey the kids are going to end up on.
15 mins/20 mins, 10.5 C