Bonjour mon ami from Dover. Sorry Marilyn I would write this in French but mon Froncais et tres movais so I think I will stick to English. It is 6:37 P.M. and the iron lady has less than 2.5 miles to go! The waves are still high however the wind is blowing from the east which is towards France. If the French had any couth they would have a welcoming party on shore with a band and a bottle of their best bubbly. Unfortunately the French are not fans of channel crossing and have recently taken to boarding crew boats to inspect for passports. Just last week a swim was terminated because one of the crew did not have a passport. Apparently the boarding party pulled the swimmer and forced the captain to drive to the nearest French port and the offending crew member was subjected to immigration proceedings. No problems on the Masterpiece so far and all crew have their passports.
Over the last few years the French have banned channel swimmers from starting in France and swimming to England. This was the preferred route as there are many beaches on the English shore to land on around Dover and Folkestone and only a few small stretches of sand on the French side. The French have done themselves a real disservice by not supporting channel crossings as mentioned before it is a thriving industry in Kent (Dover area) resulting in a significant influx of tourists and their money in August and September. I guess things are the same in Europe as they are in Canada with respect to the French staring a blind eye at opportunity.
The crew has promised me more frequent updates so don't touch that dial. More exciting news from the English Channel is on the way!
Marilyn's swim across the English Channel 2011
"For me, marathon swimming is the ultimate mental, physical and emotional challenge".
Diana Nyad, Other Shores, 1978
I've always loved swimming. I've been swimming since age 2, competitively since age 13. I'm now 54 and hoping to become the oldest Canadian female to swim the English channel; 33.2 kilometres from Samphire Hoe Beach, Dover, England to Cap Griz Nez, France. I swam Lake Ontario from Niagara on the Lake to Toronto in 1983 and from Toronto to Port Dalhousie (north to south against the powerful Niagara River current) in 1984. I was only the second person to swim Lake Ontario north to south, Diana Nyad being the first. The above quote is one of my favourites, especially since Diana at 61 was also recently trying to prove that older athletes can still achieve big goals.
Why the English Channel? I was quoted in the Toronto Star in 1984 saying my next big swim would be the English Channel. But then life happened, I got married, had 3 boys, but always kept swimming at least twice a week. Last summer, Debbie Bang challenged me to swim 26 kilometres in Muskoka. When I finished it, I felt I could have swum further. When Colleen Shields at 58 breezed across Lake Ontario last August (but was foiled by weather at the very end), I realized I could still do another big swim at my age. Swimmers in Dover say the Channel is the Everest of swims. I'm not so sure, people have accomplished longer and colder swims in other parts of the world. For me, there is something about ocean swimming that is the ultimate. The English Channel is part of world history and swimming tradition. My grandmother lived in England and took me to the beach on the channel, so it is also nostalgia and familiar. What really cemented the idea in my mind is pacing Kim Middleton across the channel in 1989. I just "woke up" last September and realized time was running out.
So I have been inspired and supported by a great many people. (Thank you!) In doing this swim I would like to inspire others to dream big and go out and achieve their goals. But, in this journey I have learned that reaching smaller training goals along the way has also inspired others. Swimming Lake Simcoe from Barrie to Orillia, 35 kilometres in 18 hours and 44 minutes is the biggest example of this, especially since the water was 13 degrees Celsius for the first 3 hours. Even if the channel weather foils me on August 21, 22, or 23, it was worth doing.
I am also pleased to be able to use this opportunity to raise money for the Good Shepherd Centres in Hamilton. They run a network of shelters and services for troubled youth, abused women and children, the dying, the mentally and physically challenged, the hungry and the homeless. They strive to support people through crisis and help them re-establish healthy and productive lives. They have been very good to my patients over the years and for this I am grateful. Please support my swim by donating to the Good Shepherd centres. Thank you. http://www.goodshepherdcentres.ca/News/events.htm
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