When you swim the channel, you are allowed a support swimmer to swim with you if you want. Don came in around the 7.5 hour mark. After 30 minutes, I asked him to get out. I felt a bit bad about it, because Don is attempting the to swim the channel in a couple of weeks and I know it is good to get some experience. The problem for me was that when he was swimming with me it made me nervous. When you swim the channel, you are not allowed to touch the boat or any other swimmer, or your swim will not count. Even though I know that Don would never come anywhere near me, all the time he was swimming with me I couldn't stop thinking and worrying about what would happen if he touched me by accident - so after 30 minutes I asked him to get out.
I had no real idea how well I was swimming for the whole of the swim. Don kept telling me that I was swimming really well and that I was making good speed but I didn't really have any idea what that meant. We had agreed before the swim that he would not tell me how far I had gone or how far I had to go at any point during the swim.
The feeds continued every half an hour after another and then at one feed Neil came out to feed me (I later found out that this was at the 10.5 hour feed). He asked me if I could give him a bit more to try and take advantage of the slack tide. He said not to worry if I couldn't. Now at this point I had been giving it a little bit more anyway but I knew from our relay the prior year that Neil was trying to get me in on the South side of Cap Gris Nez (which I could see now on my left - Cap Gris Nez is a headland on the French coast, which means Cape Grey Nose) and that once the tide changed it would push us quite quickly towards the Cap and so Neil wanted me to try and get in to shore now. So I gave it a little more - now I am not sure if this was noticeable on the boat but I felt it. This was one of the few points in the swim when I questioned myself. I had heard stories of people getting swept past the Cap and because they had been so close to finishing that mentally this destroyed them and their swim. I thought what if I swim hard now and don't get in - will I be able to keep going? Although I had these doubts I kept swimming at this harder pace - and every time I looked left I could see Cap Gris Nez and I kept wondering am I going to get to shore before the tide takes me past it.
At the next feed (11 hours), I was hoping that I would be told well done you are safe. Instead Don said, "you're doing great Andy, keep this pace up". So I drank my maxim and carried on. It was painful and I had no idea how close to shore I was. The only thing I had agreed with Don that he could tell me was when it was my last feed - and he hadn't said that yet so I must have over 30 minutes to go. I kept swimming and every time I breathed to my left I could see Cap Gris Nez. I remember noticing that everyone was now at the side of the boat. I could see Irene pointing towards France and then I remember seeing Don with a pair of goggles in his hands. If Don had goggles in his hands - he must be thinking about getting changed and that must mean that I am close. I remember looking up as Irene pointed towards France and the rocks and the cliffs seemed close. Then Don held a whiteboard over the side of Suva and it said the words "Made It". I couldn't believe it but I carried on swimming and I looked up again and now the rocks were really close. I carried on swimming and I remember seeing the rocks under me and I couldn't help myself, I started laughing and my eyes welled up (it is the 21st century - all blokes cry these days). I stood up on the rocks and climbed clear of the water. I had arrived in France. Suva sounded its horn and I turned around, lifted my arms in the air, it was brilliant. I could see Don, Rob and my Dad swimming to shore and as Don got closer he asked if I knew how long the swim had taken. I said maybe 12 hours. He replied 11 hours and 27 minutes. This was way faster than I had expected. Once the guys arrived we took photos (well it actually ended up being video as the camera got switched to video by mistake - unfortunately we didn't know - so enjoy that below) and then swam back to the boat. I got changed and enjoyed the slightly faster crossing back to Dover.
This is me and my Dad on the journey back
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