A group of determined Blesma Members is gearing up to take on the English Channel once again. These veterans are set to repeat their record-breaking cross-Channel swim in September, marking the tenth anniversary of their original achievement.
Back in 2014, Conrad Thorpe, Jamie Gillespie, Craig Howorth, and Stephen White made history as the first all-amputee team to swim the 25-mile stretch from England to France. Now, nearly a decade later, they’re preparing for another attempt. In late May, they successfully completed the mandatory qualifying swim in Dover Harbour, a key milestone in setting up the challenge.
Steve White, a former Royal Green Jackets rifleman and now Blesma’s Vice Chairman, reflected on the upcoming swim: “It will be almost 10 years to the day when we became the first all-amputee team to swim across the Channel. We’re all in training for what is a formidable challenge for any swimmer. Of course, we’re all 10 years older, but we’re also more experienced and better at open water swimming, which will be an advantage.”
To be eligible for the Channel swim, the team had to pass a strict qualification process, which included a two-hour swim in water temperatures below 15.5°C, observed by the Channel Swimming Association. Jamie completed this qualification on his own a week after the others.
During the actual swim, the team will start near Dover and follow an S-shaped route across the Channel to optimize the tides. Their goal is to match or beat their original time of 12 hours and 14 minutes and surpass the £4,000 they raised for Blesma in 2014. They will swim in one-hour shifts, ensuring that a team member is always in the water.
“This will be a great achievement and an emotional experience, doing it 10 years later,” added Steve, who prepared for the qualifying swim by covering 33 kilometers in stormy seas off the Croatian coast during an ultra swimming event. “We’re doing this to inspire others and to raise funds for Blesma – and that’s all the motivation we need!”
Help the team reach their fundraising target of £4,000 by making a donation on their JustGiving page.
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