Marilyn's story

Thank you to everyone who supported my swim! I heard there were over 300 visitors to our blogsite yesterday!
I still can't believe I swam the English channel. I did not think I would make it until the last 500m. I was rapidly getting very cold after the sun set at 8:11, hence the rapid pace at the end in a desperate attempt to stay warm.
The hardest part of the swim? Every minute! From the beginning I struggled to stay warm with the water temperature between 16 and 17 degrees C and the air a cool 16 at night and the wind howling across my back all day. The over 3 metres waves broadsiding me for several hours were no picnic, either. They were even more annoying a 1 1/2m when they got choppy. If you heard it was a beautiful calm night, that only lasted 3 hours and the waves were over a meter most of the rest of the swim.
What kept me going? Thinking of all the people who wished me well. Knowing I paid a lot of money and inconvenienced a lot of people and this was my only shot at this this year. I did not want to come back next year. Finally, I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to quit. Even the "pilot" (captain) wouldn't oblige by saying that Beaufort Force 6 winds (24-26 knots between 3 and 5 pm) are not an automatic end to the swim if the swimmer is still making forward progress on the GPS. Sure, swimming on the border of hypothermia ("voluntary tolerance limit") the whole swim was very uncomfortable but I knew my body and the symptoms and I knew I could continue indefinitely at this temperature if I could keep the feedings down.  This was another issue, the waves and swallowing sea water resulted in part of every feed coming up and constant nausea. At one point I could barely lift my right arm (the one being broadsided) but it turned out this was a wall and the pain went away in an hour. Both not good enough reasons to quit. My crew kept me going  by creatively coming up with positive information to keep me in the game, such as "only 6 miles to a calm harbour" (well that never happened, we got blown past it.) They also put the names of many of my supporters and quotes I had collected on the white board for me to read.
How am I feeling today? Every muscle in my body aches, including ones in my chest wall and back I never knew existed. My right wrist is very sore and pretty useless. Amazingly I can lift my hands over my head (gingerly). My throat is swollen. Everything still tastes like salt water. Finally, I am tired! However, I could probably swim again in 2 days if I taped my wrist.
I would like to thank everyone in my boat crew who carried belief in my success for me when I had lost it. They missed a nights sleep, several of them threw up on the boat despite seasickness medication and they worked tirelessly for me on the rolling boat. Thank you to my land crew for blogging and driving us and all our gear home (several trips between Dover and Folkestone after midnight). A special thanks to pilots Kevin Sherman and Fred Mardle for getting me to Calais expertly. Kevin got his damaged boat to Dover at midnight after a 15 hour swim and turned right around to be there for me at 3 am. Fred offered his boat and expertise at the last minute after being out on a 5 hour swim himself the day before.
Last but not least, if you are inspired by my story, it is not too late to donate to the Good Shepherd. http://www.goodshepherdcentres.ca/News/events.htm
Marilyn

Live to the finish!

She's almost there!  Less than 500 meters to the finish (or for us older people less than one third of a mile).  Finishing is now not in doubt and I can faintly hear the band warming up with the Canadian National Anthem.  Many people have been dropping by the trailer for updates and they are all excited to here the news of her success.  As we sit by the phone waiting for the text advising us that she has touched French soil it gives me time to reflect on what a great accomplishment this is and what an amazing inspiration Marilyn has been to all of us, not the least of which has been my wife who has re-kindled her love of swimming in recent years, due in part to Marilyn's influence.  Although there have been many times I have felt like a swimming widower I realize that the time she spends in the water will benefit both of us in the long run as it will extend her life providing me companionship (and maybe someone to change my diaper if required).

Thanks Marilyn for including us in this wonderful event and for continuing to support Deb and others with their dreams and goals.  It has been an amazing experience and I look forward to being at the finish line for your next big swim.

And that's it folks!  Marilyn is on French soil (or beach or maybe even rock we are not certain yet).  Official time is 16 hours and 28 minutes.  An incredible accomplishment!  Marilyn Korzekwa is now the oldest Canadian Woman to swim the English Channel.

Congratulations Marilyn and thank you.  Now her son and I are off to attend the official flag raising ceremony at the park in Marilyn's honour and I think I hear the engravers putting her name on the plaque as we speak.

Thanks everyone for tuning in.  It has been a pleasure bringing you the events as they unfolded today.  The next posting will be from Marilyn tomorrow morning.  For now this is Steve Bang signing off.  Good bye!

Move over Ferries here I come!

It's 8:30 in Dover and in typical Marilyn style it seems she will be finishing the crossing in a unique way.  With less than a mile to go and still making progress Marilyn no-my-name's-not-Bell Korzekwa has drifted into the ferry crossing lane apparently deciding she would rather finish at the ferry terminal than on a beach.  Perhaps she is looking forward to a warm ferry ride home rather than the 2.5 hour return trip on Masterpiece shivering in the small un-heated cabin.  Not to worry though as the crew is diverting her to the nearest French beach.  With the sun setting this may not provide much warmth however it will be somewhat safer.

There are many boat traffic issues one must consider when crossing the channel not the least of which are the endless line of car, truck and people ferries that run 24 hours per day.  Despite the Chunnel option many people travelling between the 2 countries still prefer the ferry.  Marilyn is now clear of the other major boat traffic which are the more than 500 ocean going cargo vessels that pass through the channel each day.  The channel is actually set up like a highway with boats going east required to stick to one area and boats travelling west to another.  The interesting part is that the boats pass on the right side of the channel.  I guess the French finally won one over the English who, for some reason, prefer to drive on the left.

I have just been informed that the cell phone on the boat is running low on battery.  Hopefully they can charge it on board so we can bring you the final moments of  Marilyn's heroic accomplishment.  Stay tuned while we address these technical difficulties.

T Minus 2 miles and counting!

That's right folks, it's 7:30 and Man-Mountain Marilyn (should be woman-mountain but it sounds better the other way) has less than 2 miles to go.  The sun continues to shine on her and she should touch French soil before it sets over the atlantic.  One of the advantages of swimming the English Channel is that on a clear day you can see the finish line from the time you enter the water in Dover (unless it is dark of course).  The end is definitely in sight now for Marilyn as the white cliffs of Calais will be towering over her and her support crew.  She has been in the water for a little over 15 hours and should finish in under 17 hours which is much better than her test swim crossing of Lake Simcoe (about 19 hours).  All the long hours of training and personal sacrifice has paid off in spades and another milestone is about to be achieved.  What an amazing accomplishment and only Marilyn knows what will be next (Double crossing of the channel maybe or how about Cuba to Key West Florida?).  We will have to wait for Marilyn to decide but my money says she won't stop here.

I'll be back soon for the count-down to success so keep your eyes glued to your computer screen, just now I have to run and help the park management find a copy of Oh Canada to play at the flag raising.  They seem to think that God Save the Queen will do so I need to set them straight.  Same Queen different anthem!

Calais is in sight!

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!

4 Miles to go!

Bonjour from Dover.  Its 5:00 P.M. and Marilyn (A.K.A. Never-Quit-Korzekwa) is still going strong.  Stroke rate is 62 which is about the same as when she started.  Thie has finished her second pacing session.  Waves have been as high as 3 meters but are now dissipating and expected to continue to reduce throughout the evening.  The white cliffs of France are looming ever closer and an inside source tells me that Marilyn is now insisting that only French be spoken at her feedings since she is now in French waters.

Meanwhile back at the trailer park Marilyn and family are staying at preparations are under-way to celebrate her success.  The park has a tradition of raising the home country flag upon hearing of a successful crossing by a guest of the park.  I shouldn't be telling you this but I just saw the park owner with a Canadian flag in his hand and shortly they plan to tape a large "congratulations" poster on the side of Marilyn's trailer.  Nothing will be done of course until we get the word however it never hurts to be prepared.

Channel crossing is as major industry in Dover and Folkestone and almost every day in August there are several attempts.  Yesterday Captain Fred had a fellow from Seattle Washington give it a try and only make it 5 miles as he became too cold to continue.  Considering how cold the water in the pacific is it is hard to believe he would have trouble with 64 degrees however Fred told us me that this guy only trained in pools.  My wife and I are staying in a Guest house in Dover that also plays host to many successful swimmers including the record setter (6 hours and 53 minutes).  Most of these places have a wall of fame with plaques honouring those swimmers who are successful and it is interesting to see the number of swimmers and their times.  They haven't quite started making up Marilyn's plaque yet however it should be any time now!

Don't go away we'll be back soon with more updates.

Update from Dover 4:15 P.M.

We are back and Marilyn is still making progress.  The waves have increased and the wind is up a bit.  The sun is still out and there is no rain in sight.  Last update from the crew indicated the boat was about 5 miles from France.  Pacers going in every second hour to encourage Marilyn to keep up her speed.  I just checked the radar and the last update was from around 10:00 A.M. so long out of date.  Stay tuned as Marilyn enters the home stretch as Marilyn continues her quest to be the oldest Canadian female to swim the channel (did I say oldest? Ooops sorry I meant most mature).  More details to follow.

Ship name update

Ooops :)  My Bad.  The ship is called Masterpiece.  I just pulled it up on the site and they look to be almost half way to France!  Sorry about the confusion but hey it was 4:00 A.M.  I was lucky to find my way to the harbour!  Further updates to come.

Swim Update

Good Morning from Dover!  Marilyn is in the water and going strong.  The weather is sunny with light winds and  southern England is experiencing a heat wave (high of 24 today).  Looks like a great day for swimming.  Marilyn is about 6.5 miles out and the first pacer (Debbie) is about to enter the water.  Feedings are going well and Marilyn passed on the first pacer because she didn't need it and to save them getting too cold.  As you have probably figured out by now Marilyn is not doing this posting (hard to Blog and swim at the same time).  My name is Steve and I am the husband of pacer Deb and will be keeping you updated on Marilyn's progress throughout the day.  Here are some details about the beginning of the swim:

Captain Kevin asked us to be at the Harbour at 2:45 in hopes of leaving at 3:00.  During a crossing yesterday the water pump on his engine blew and he limped back to Dover harbour.  He arranged for a different boat for Marilyn however he was still going to be the pilot and his son, Adam, would be the official observer.  When we got to the harbour around 2:45 Kevin was not to be found.  Remembering back to the trial swim on August 15th when he was late we didn't worry figuring he would show up in a few minutes.  After a half hour Marilyn tried phoning him with no luck and we did a walk-about the harbour where we found Captain Fred who, as it turned out, was the owner of our new boat (Magnificent).  He was told by Kevin to be at the harbour at 2:00 which he had been and the boat was ready to go.  We tried calling Kevin a few more times on his cell and at home and finally received word that he would be along by shortly (I think Marilyn woke him up).  We loaded the boat with gear and were waiting for him when he showed up a bit glassy eyed and somewhat apologetic.  The boat left the dock at 4:00 and after having a long talk with Captain Fred I am confident they are in good hands (Fred is driving and actually taught Kevin everything he knows, except how to be late).  High tide was around 4:00 so Marilyn was able to leave while the tide was going out.  She entered the water at the official starting point at 4:24 A.M. on Sunday August 21st.

If you are interested in tracking her progress on radar the boat is called Magnificent and this one is not operating in a stealth mode.  More progress postings to come.  P.S.  Water temperature is around 64 F.

Confirming start time

Finally talked to the pilot, Kevin, who is still out there in the channel limping back with a damaged motor. He has a new boat lined up for me but the start time is pushed back an hour to 3 a.m. Don't know the name of the boat or whether it has an ais tracker.
Going for my final nap.
The weather out there is gorgeous. The calmest its been all week. Three guys from our caravan park succeeded today: Ian from Australia, Roger from South Africa and Alistair from Scotland.
Marilyn
PS the last blog was sent by Steve, who will be your blogging crew from now on.

Preparing for the big swim!

It's 2:45 Dover time and we are making wraps and preparing the supplies for the boat.  Husband and son have arrived safely and had a good night sleep.  It is currently raining lightly.  The forecast for August 21 is a low of 17 and a high of 21 with some rain and some sun.  We are awaiting a call from Captain Kevin who is currently out with another swimmer.  According to the captain you will not be able to track the progress of the boat on radar as he will be in stealth mode which is a nice way of saying he doesn't own the thingy he needs to allow tracking.  Will be going down for a sleep shortly and will provide an update once we hear from the captain.  Talk soon.

August 20

Well, all my crew are here and they've taken charge. I'm heading off for a nap.
Weather forecast is "changeable". Temperature overnight will be much warmer at 17 and but only a high of 21and cloudy in the day. Winds are a little higher than predicted but still under 10 knots and seas are "slight".
So far so good.
My pilot is out with Ian from Australia, so we won't hear from him until this evening.
Marilyn

August19

We had a really good look at the weather today: tides, winds, temperature, storms. Saturday at 9 pm Ontario time still looks like the best "window". Now we just have to hope the predictions hold.
Marilyn

August 18

Another choppy chilly day of training in Dover harbour. The temperature was 17 degrees Celsius and the wind 35 km/hr. On the beach, we met 2 Americans who will also be swimming this weekend. Anna is 67 from Connecticut and hopes to become the oldest woman ever!
After training we drove through a tunnel through the cliff to the beach I will starting at, Samphire Hoe. Samphire is a cliff flower and Hoe is a point of cliff jutting out over the ocean. Its actually a new beach created by the landfill from the chunnel. It is closer to France than the old starting spot of Shakespeare Beach.
Marilyn

August 17

Another choppy day in Dover Harbour, but I only swam an hour. Starting to "taper". Got all my equipment acquired and organized.
More of my crew has arrived, Thie my pacer and Frances my trainer.  Its a lot more fun to swim with a friend.
My new neighbour in the caravan park, Ian from Sydney, is going to swim the channel the day after me. He saw a seal in Dover harbour!
The air temperature is warmer during the day and night. Keep those prayers coming!
Marilyn

August 16

Another choppy swim in Dover Harbour for 2 hours. It amazes me every time I get in the water that it feels really cold, but after an hour I am down to my "cruising temperature" and I feel cool but alright. On Lake Simcoe I completed the whole 34 km swim at this body temperature.
Today I pre-measured my high calorie complex carbohydrate drinks. For cold water swimming the drinks need to be double strength because dehydration is not an issue as much as calorie demand. I'm planning 350 ml every 45 minutes containing 300 calories.
The big news of the day is that Susanna Murphy from Ireland from our caravan park succeeded in her solo crossing yesterday in 11h38min. The caravan park is flying the Irish flag today.
Marilyn

August 15

Today, we had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Sherman, my "pilot" (aka captain) for the big swim. He took Debbie and me and 2 swimmers who will be part of a relay in September for a 2 hour ride in his boat, the Connermara. Debbie swam Lake Simcoe with me and will be pacing me in the channel.
We all swam together for an hour, it was lots of fun. The waves were clocked at 6.9 feet by Kevin on one of his many navigation  instruments. The winds were Force 5, he said, over 16 knots (30 km/hr). The waves were fun to swim in when I was fresh but would be hard work and exhausting for any length of time. Fortunately, the pilots do not give the go ahead with Force 5 in the forecast.
I had no trouble following the boat. Kevin and his son are great at staying with swimmers. We tested the "feeding system" and Deb and I have a few things to refine, like non-tangle rope and a sturdy feeding pole. Despite the waves, no one got sick, also good news. Kevin answered our many questions and I have confidence in his abilities. His ability to read the tide by looking at the waves speaks to his experience. He has been a pilot for the Channel Swimming Association for many years. He has even crewed on freighters that plied the waters of the Great Lakes.
I made 2 new friends, the relay swimmers, Sue and Alex. Sue is a kindred spirit, saying a lot of the same things I did in my introductory paragraphs above about "waking up" (I swear she used the exact same words) one day and realizing she wanted to do the channel, feeling the advance of age and enjoying playing in cold water as a child. Alex swam the 500m race in 3 degree water in the winter outdoor championships in Latvia last year!
Speaking of water temperature, it went up 0.2 of a degree. Your prayers are working. Keep them coming!
Marilyn

August 14

Today was the nicest day yet. Sunny and calm in the morning. I swam 4 hours and didn't get cold, which was the point of the workout. There were 18 swimmers at the channel general's workout. Some of the ones that passed me were real powerhouses (probably younger than me). I was pleasantly surprised when I passed 3 people myself.
The owners of the caravan (trailer) park here at Varne Ridge, David and Evelyn, have been very helpful and kind. They have a whole room full of swimming equipment for borrowing, especially the big stuff you can't pack in a suitcase like Tote boxes, feeding stick and thermoses. They even sell lanolin! They also give driving directions and training advice.
Marilyn

August 13

I awoke this morning to the sound of rain pelting my windows at 24 knots. The fog was so thick I couldn’t see the caravan next door. Evelyn, the owner of the caravan park said, “Oh they will be swimming in Dover for sure”. Sure enough there were over a dozen swimmers in the water, presided upon by the “channel general”, Freda Streeter, mother of the “Queen of the Channel” Alison Streeter (43 crossings). Freda has been sitting on the beach most summer (May-September) weekends for over 20 years. 

I said to myself, "this is the weather you may get on your swim, you have to get used to it". Despite the wind and rain, the water wasn't so bad. But, the waves were huge at the northeast end of the harbour.   The good news is that you can’t actually have a panic attack when you are sprinting; your heart rate is already high.On the next lap, I forced myself to go back there and it wasn’t intimidating the second time. I didn’t get as cold today, either.  Miraculously, the sun came out towards the end of the workout and stayed out all afternoon. 

The highlight of the day was finally being able to see France from the top of the cliff. I could make out Cap Griz Nez and the and dunes of Wissant Beach, both possible landing sites. Look so close...

Marilyn

August 12.

Well today was a much nicer day. The sun actually came out for almost half of my 2 1/2 hour swim in Dover harbour. The winds were low enough to allow 3 swimmers and a relay to get out there. Three boats are 1-2 miles off the coast of France as I write this.
I met Steve on the beach. He's attempting a double this year. He eyed me up and down and said "you'll do fine". I wonder if that means I've gained enough weight. He also gave me free advice and watched my bag so it didn't get stolen.
I also found a swimming buddy, Brian from South Carolina, who is just hanging out to find out what it is all about in preparation for his swim in 2013.
Out of the water, the day included adventures in driving on the left side of the road all over Dover and Folkestone and "self-catered" chicken in our "caravan".
Looks like Melanie Price back home is about to complete her swim across Lake Ontario, Solo Swims of Ontario's 3rd successful Lake Ontario swim this year. Congratulations to all involved!
Marilyn

Aug 11. Arriving in Dover

August 11, 2011
What a trip down memory lane, taking the train to Dover. Remembering being here with Kim Middleton in 1989. Got here by 1:30 so missed all the evening rioting in the big city.
Weather here is miserable. I stand atop the white cliffs, the wind is 34 knots and the air 16 deg C.
I go for a swim anyway. Gotta get used to it! Water is almost 16 deg C. The pebble beach is hard to walk on, I feel like a penguin coming ashore.
There's other crazy swimmers here, mainly from Ireland. One of them is going home without even getting the chance to swim because the whole week has been exceedingly windy.
At least the internet works!
Marilyn