He got stung by a jellyfish, snacked on Jelly Babies and worked off multiple cramps to complete a challenge that has been four years in the planning.
It was all scheduled for last August for Beverley man Graham Blair to swim the English Channel for charity. Then the weather intervened and, poised and ready as he was at Dover, the huge test of endurance had to be postponed.
Last week, a “swim slot” opened again for Graham and he was there to meet his pilot boat in the early hours of Thursday, July 3. In 10hrs 43mins, Graham swam 42.6 kilometres (26.5 miles), encountering ferries – “many, and big ones” – fuelling up on energy drinks and Cadbury’s Twirl Bites and making 16,490 arm strokes to power him across to the French coast.
“It’s funny, because it’s a well-known swim and stuff, but it wasn’t the hardest swim I have ever done,” said Graham, whose partner, Leanne Smith, was in the support boat alongside him. “I got sunburnt on the back of my legs; it was the only place I’d not put sun cream.
“Across the full time, I was averaging 1min 31sec per 100m, which is about four lengths of a normal pool. I burnt 4,872 calories.”
(Image: Graham Blair)
(Image: Graham Blair)
Offsetting that were high-energy drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes, sugary snacks and some boiled potato. “You can’t get on or touch the support boat so they feed you by passing down a bottle on a rope – you have to swim up to the rope and grab it.
“I had some boiled potato at one point, it’s full of carbs, it had a bit of olive oil on it for a nicer consistency but I ended up taking in sea water as well so they were salted potatoes. It was the mental challenge, really, keeping that focus for so long.
“I’ve heard and read about swims being abandoned 200m from the shore, it happens because the currents are so strong. You’ve fought the tide for hours on end and you’re not making any progress,
“I lifted my head and I could see France was there; I wasn’t making any progress and I thought, I’m stuck in one of these currents. I tried and tried with every ounce of my strength to get past it.
(Image: Graham Blair)
“They passed down a drink – I think it was caffeinated to help me get past this point – and I quickly drank it and carried on swimming. I popped my head up 15 minutes later and I could see the RIB (rigid inflatable boat) was out and I thought, I’m close to home. Within a couple of minutes I was on French sand.”
Graham was raising money for three charities, Mind, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, and the Lewis Pugh Foundation. His JustGiving appeal page is still open for donations.
He said: “I got back in the boat and Leanne was crying her eyes out and my cousin was in the boat as well. I thought, I’ve finally done it, I’m a Channel swimmer.”
Graham said: “Swimming for the most part is a solitary sport, it’s just you, the water and your thoughts. But none of it would be possible without a great team behind me. To everyone who supported and encouraged me, thank you.”
Asked what might be next for him, Graham said: “I would like to do something but for the sake of my relationship I’m having a break for now.”
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