English Channel Swim

Marco - My favourite Guinness ad

Julian's English Channel Swim Video

More photos from the English Channel swim

You can click on the "flickr" link on the right of this page for photos, and there are more photos also on my smugmug photo site

http://bigj.smugmug.com/gallery/3140008#172270607

Make your own Windorph

Tawny and Nat take the plunge

Back in San Francisco, and in a respite from Channel stories, I thought you would all like to know that Tawny and Nat from the South End Rowing Club gave new meaning to the phrase "taking the plunge" - check out this link

http://www.flatstar.smugmug.com/gallery/3163324/1/173879906/Large

J

Party on Friday night in London

Folks - we were going to meet down in Dover, but given that I'm not going to have to be there until the end of the week, with the number of requests that I got to move it to London, it will be at the White Horse Pub in Fulham/Parsons Green.  See you there 7ish.

If you know that anyone is planning to go down to Dover, if you could redirect them, that would be very helpful.

Thanks

Julian

Swimming from England...

to France.....

Made it!

Friends

We made it!  Fantastic!

You'll be pleased to hear that while I am overjoyed at having successfully swum the Channel, I haven't lost my perspective, and it seems as silly a thing to attempt in retrospect as it did in prospect :)

Sorry that there weren't more updates, Dover's internet infrastructure has been failing to keep up with the need for communication.  I write this from an internet cafe, and I have to admit that the walls are bobbing up and down in imitation of the waves I spent a good portion of yesterday battling.

We left Folkestone harbor yesterday July 9th 2007 at 5.15am, with my support team - "coach" Dad, "motivator" brother Stefan, "feeder and photographer" sister Aleksandra, "pacer swimmer" Scotty, and "the entertainer" Captain Cumberlege, along with the pilot Reg and the observer Ray.  We went round to Shakespeare beach which was the start, and left there around 6am.  10hours and 34+ minutes later we arrived at Cap-de-Gris Nez, France, which is faster than I was hoping, especially with the weather.  The swimming gods obviously smiled in our general direction.  Everything went very well, and my support crew were amazing, and helped me overcome my inner doubting demons, with constant feeding, motivation and entertainment.  They were passing on all your messages through a whiteboard that I could read at every half hour feeding.  Thanks for all the positive energy.

I say 10:34+minutes later, because we are waiting for the official time, and I am as yet refusing to believe that a British comedian who swam the Channel last year (in very different weather conditions) may have pipped me to the post :) David Walliams did 10:34. My unofficial time was 10:35.

I'm in good shape, and the various bumps and bruises are more from trying to stand up on rocks in crashing waves on the French coast, and from throwing up for the 3hour boat trip back in the 6foot swells, than from the swim.

There will be more details and hopefully some photos and a map of the swim.

Thank you to everyone for all the support, well wishes and contributions to charity.  As I write I can see that we have raised over $16,000 for cancer research in the US at the University of California San Francisco, and also money for the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby Association's Olympic hopes, although I don't have the exact details today.  Your generosity is overwhelming and much appreciated. (http://www.englishchannelswim.com/about-Julian.html)

I'm not swimming today :)

Julian

What are we doing here?

As my support team (Mum, Dad, and Scotty Witthof) demonstrates, the objective is to swim from England....

to France.....

thanks guys :)

777

It's the 7th day of the 7th month of the 7th year of the millenium, and a 777 is one of the only ways a swimmer is going to get across the Channel today..   The wind is making it a non-starter, although an Irish relay team may roll the dice, because it's their last chance before they have to go home.  The Great Icelandic Competition to be the first Icelander to cross is also in full swing, although even they kept their powder dry until tomorrow morning, when Jessica and Michelle look likely to get their chance.

Benedict and Benoit, both from Iceland are locked in a swimming duel to be the first across the Channel.  Benoit sat on the beach for 2 months last year waiting for an opportunity, with his camera crew waiting on his every move.  Benedict heard about this, took up swimming, and has come this year to pip him to the post, and to "do something crazy" before his 50th birthday.  As he says "this is crazy enough". May the best Icelander be the winner :)

So if the girls go tomorrow Sunday, maybe I get a crack at it on Monday....