English Channel attempt in July

G'day,
To those of you I know, I've set this up to document some of the stuff you might like to keep track of as I attempt to swim the English Channel in July this year (2011). To all others - welcome to my mid life crisis.
My tide window is 7th July to 18th July.
Pop back from time to time and come July I hope we can keep you up to date during the swim. On the right is a link to my Twitter feed which we expect to be able to update during the swim. If you also sign up to Twitter it's probably the best way to send messages on the big day. I'd sure love to get a few!
I will also post some blogs in the lead up to keep you all informed on likely swim day and time.
I've trained hard and met some fantastic people on the journey - I cant believe how generous everyone has been with time, advice and support - my plan is to make you all proud.
Most of all thanks to Caren (I adore you), T and Lucy for putting up with a mostly absent husband and father for the last year. Big expensive make up holiday in France and Spain coming soon. Lucky I know how to save on the ferry ticket!

Thanks everyone, AV.

Thursday, 30 June 2011

little clip in the Herald Sun

Hi all,

Got a big surprise reading the Herald Sun at the airport when I saw the below clip on my up coming swim. Thanks to the guilty party...we know who you are!

Inevitably, a short paragraph in the paper can't properly acknowledge everyone who has helped me get to this point in the journey. I think most people think of long distance swimming as a pretty lonely endeavour (and whilst some of the training might be) in reality nothing is further from the truth. This is a major team activity.

I have had support and advice and encouragement from so many including:
  • The Black Ice Icebergers swimming club and all the members, especially Alby and Peter Bardoel (Brothers) with so much Channel swimming experience between them, 
  • Melbourne Vicentre swimming club and its coaches, CEO and President
  • Robert Butcher coach at Melbourne Grammar Aquatics, whose 5km squad sessions nearly always  kill me, but I always feel proud when I finish them
  • And especially John Van Wisse coach and Australian marathon swimming legend whose contagious enthusiasm just motivates me and whose advice has been invaluable to me over 3 years of open water training and squad sessions
  • Bill Dooley from Made to Move fitness, my long term personal trainer and mate (and legend marathon runner)
  • And all my mates, who own boats, have sat on boats (Jappy), are coming to the UK (Fraser..thanks!!!), paddled beside me (Greg my brother for two 20km Rottos without a rest), swam with me (so many), massages (Brad, Stawell Gift future champion) and other friends who have just been so bloody supportive of this escapade.
Next week...we get the job finished !

Oh yeah,  I think there might be a story on ABC24 this Friday night at 7.30pm on a show called Contact Sport.  Two hours of filming for a 3-4 min segment.
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1 comment:

  1. Jappy2 July 2011 at 19:45

    if you missed the ABC story it's on the web @ http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/785515 at 21.30min in the program

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