A huge congratulations to Louise Stratford, 2013 English Channel Swimmer, from all at Body and Mind Studio!

Above: 2013 English Channel Swimmer, Louise Stratford with Body and Mind Studio's Sports and Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist, Paul Hopfensperger, less than 36 hours after her epic 17 Hour 9 minute swim across The English Channel on September 03, 2013.

I first met Louise when she telephoned to book a massage with us on February 20, 2012. We had been recommended to her by multiple channel swimmer and Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation President Nick Adams. Louise told me that she had been training for about 1.5 years and had completed many open water events. Over the past 1.75 years, I have had the pleasure and the honour of treating Louise with both Advanced Clinical Massage and Sports Massage as well as giving her tips, motivation and some advice from my own personal experiences as an open water swimmer.

   

At 06: 41 Hrs on the morning of September 03, 2013, Louise set off from Shakespeare Beach in Dover (pictured above) on her epic journey to France. During our last pre-swim Swedish Massage treatment I had given her one of my most important pieces of mental advice for any Channel Swimmer to succeed. Advice which had been give to me in 2007 and most certainly got me across both of my two English Channel solo swims (want to know what it was - then come and see me!). I followed her all day via the Internet and it was a very emotional and exciting experience to watch her progress throughout the day!

12 hours and 26 minutes into the swim and with night starting to fall, having been across this stretch of water quite a few times now as both a swimmer and crew member, I could see exactly what was happening. I could see that the swim was going to go on for a few hours yet! This is where the advice I gave her would possibly help her.

Above: Louise Stratford swimming strongly in the dark of night just off the coast of France near Cap-Gris-Nez.

Eventually, at just before midnight, a comment on her Facebook page read "Has landed! and running up the beach!". I was totally ecstatic for her! An awesome swim by an awesome swimmer in 17 hours and 9 minutes to become a member of The English Channel Swimming Club!

If you would like to sponsor her, please do so on her JustGiving webpage:-

www.justgiving.com/louise-stratford

I was delighted to receive a "Thank You" card from Louise. No thanks needed Louise, you are an amazingly strong person both mentally and physically, and I am proud to have been able to help you in a small way. The hard part you did all by yourself. Well done and welcome to the club!

If I can help anyone else who is thinking of swimming The English Channel, please do not hesitate to contact me. Contact details can be found by clicking here.

Patrick Thomas - English Channel Swim - Saturday September 08, 2012 - 13 Hrs. 56 Mins.

Above (left to right): Me, Patrick Thomas from Cape Town, South Africa and Dave Granger (Channel Swimmer 2011) on board Anastasia in Dover Marina on Saturday September 08, 2012 - about 2:30am.

On Thursday July 26th, an e-mail came into the Channel Swimmers 'chat group' asking for crew members to hep a guy from South Africa called Patrick Thomas to swim The English Channel on the September 07-14 tide. I contacted Patrick and following some e-mail conversations, on Sunday August 12th he e-mailed me and Dave Granger to say that he would like like us to crew for him. He also said that a close family friend called Janeen De Klerk would be coming with him from South Africa. He said that she had "no swimming experience ... but is an ultra marathon runner and a very calm and settled all round person". Ideal to compliment a couple of mad Channel Swimmers then!

Patrick and I liaised over the next few weeks until he finally arrived in England. I had been tentatively telling my massage and nutrition clients about crewing in The English Channel the following week, and explained that I may have to change their appointments at the last minute due to the nature of Channel Swimming. This is why it can be difficult to get crew. You literally have to be prepared to go, food, clothes etc., drop everything, head to Dover and crew at very short notice! Not an easy task for ayone when you have work and family comitments.

Here's how the conversation went by text:-

Mon 3 Sep 2012 - 11:46 - Patrick in London: "Hi there Paul. This is my UK number. Awesome day here today :) Cheers, Patrick Thomas".

Paul: "Excellent! Spoken to Eddie [the pilot] yet? If so what's the forecast for the weekend?"

Patrick: "Hi there. Just sms-ed briefly. No discussions as yet. Thursday and Friday look great wind picks up Saturday ... Not sure there is space for two pre weather turn. Heading to Varne Ridge tomorrow and will try have a chat to him tomorrow."    

  

Paul: "Cool. Stand at Varne Ridge and gaze across The Channel. It's an awesome view. Sends shivers of excitement down my spine just picturing it in my mind!".

Patrick: "Cool. Can't wait. Will be in touch tomorrow evening :)".

Tue 4 Sep 2012 - 21:27 - Patrick at Varne Ridge: "Hi there. Spoke to Eddie today. He is confident 1st slot will do real early morning departure Friday. Makes me Saturday morning (EARLY) start ... Too early to read much into weather - aiming for then and updates on weather tomorrow evening. Cheers, Fatty Patty :)".

Paul: "Ok. Let's check again tomorrow. Cheers. Paul." 

Wed 5 Sep 2012 - 19:23 - Patrick at Varne Ridge: "Hi there again. Just spoke to Eddie again. Still looking OK for Saturday real early (Around 02h30) ... No definite time as yet ... But that is our goal for now :D".

Paul: "Ok cool. Will plan for that at present. Exciting!".

Thu 6 Sep 2012 - 19:26 - Patrick at Varne Ridge: "Hi there ... again. Just spoke to Eddie. We are still on for Saturday very early. To meet at Harbour at 2h3. To be confirmed again at 19h00 tomorrow. He is 90% confident of that decision :)".

I then realised that we were very likely to be on for the swim early Saturday morning, but not certain. I had a bit of a difficult decision. I had purposely not booked any appointments in for Friday (pm) and would have to chance getting to Dover for about 7pm not actually knowing if we were going to swim or not. A 145 mile drive - maybe for nothing. I packed and ensured I had my swim kit because at least I could swim in the harbour on Saturday morning if we didn't go.    

       

To be completed...

Donal Buckley's English Channel Swim 2010

Following an e-mail from Ned Denison in Ireland, I am delighted to be one of two crew members for Donal Buckley's English Channel swim on the August 01 - 10 tide, 2010.

Donal is an open water swimmer who lives in the South-East of Ireland, who is swimming The English Channel to raise funds for The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). He is swimming with the CS&PF, and his pilot is Chris Osmond.

I will be one of two crew members, Claire Morrissey being the other.

Donal is pictured training in the pool, and his Channel Swim website can be found at www.loneswimmer.com. Good luck Donal, and I am looking forward immensley to you becoming a channel swimmer.

'Merci Hoffy' from Sylvain Estadieu!

Above: With 2009 English Channel Swimmer, Sylvain Estadieu, Dover Marina, September 20, 2009.

Sitting in the reception of my business, Body and Mind Studio on Wednesday, the postman appeared at the window with a parcel in his hand. I wondered what on earth it was as I hadn't ordered anything so was very intrigued. When I opened it I was gobsmacked! This is what was in it:-

It was a thank you present from Sylvain Estadieu who I crewed for on his 2009 English Channel Swim. Inside the card it read:-

"Hi Paul

here's just a little something to thank you again for helping me on that great day of September!

I wish you all the best for 2010!!

Sylvain".

Sylvain, than you very much for sending me such a great memento of your swim and your home region of Alsace in France. Good luck with your 2010 swims.

Regards, Hoffy.

Sylvain Estadieu's English Channel Swim. England to France, September 20-21, 2009 - 14 Hrs. 44 Minutes

Above: Me (left) with Sylvain Estadieu on the quayside at Dover Marina prior to his 14 hour 44 minute successful swim of The English Channel on Sunday September 20, 2009.

On Sunday September 20th, I was one of three crew members to crew for Sylvain Estadieu, a French national currently living in Ireland. The other two were Niall MacCarthy, a Sandycove Swimmer from Ireland, and Dan Martin who will be attempting to swim the Atlantic in 2010. We had stayed the night in Lisa Cummins's caravan at Varne Ridge the night before. Lisa was just hours away from completing a historic, 35 hours and 20 minute 2 way channel swim, the first Irish person and only the 20th person in history to complete a 2 way (click here for further information). We boarded 'Gallivant' captained by CS&PF Honoury Secretary, Mike Oram, and set off for Samphire Hoe.

Sylvain entered the water and swum ashore to be greeted by a group of people who had assembled to see him off. This included Ned Dennison a well known and respected open water swimmer who had also stayed at Varne Ridge the previous night. Sylvain entered the waters and set off on the swim he had been training for for many months.

We hadn't gone out far when a Belgian film crew pulled up and started filming Sylvain. Dan, speaking excellent French, found out that they were doing a documentary on swimming the English Channel. They were a bit invasive, at one stage the cameraman entering the water, swimming up to within about 3 Metres of Sylvain and filming him in the water. However, after about an hour they sped off into the distance.

Above: In the South West shipping lane, dodging the oil tankers.

It had started fairly calmly, but the wind and therefore the waves really picked up and I actually felt quite cold on deck. Niall did a sterling job mixing the Maxim feeds, while Dan and I took it in turns feeding him. It was good teamwork, and an essential part of a channel swim. He fed every hour for the first 3 hours, and every 1/2 hour after that. It worked perfectly.

Above: Niall and I on deck watching Sylvain on his swim. It is important that at least one person watches the swimmer at all times.

Above: The P&O and Sea France ferries can be constantly seen on any channel swim.

Not once did Sylvain moan or even speak. His feeds were awesomely quick, mainly about 10 seconds, the longest probably 20 seconds. He just put one arm in front of the other, head down, and headed for France. As night fell, the wind dropped a bit and it felt a little warmer. We were swimming on a 7 Metre Spring tide, and what happened next, will linger in my mind for any future swims I may do.

Having swept past Cap Gris-Nez down towards Boulogne, we tried to get Sylvain to pick up his pace. He was literally 1KM from the French coast. For 30 minutes he upped his pace, but the tide was just too strong. All of a sudden, we were swept around the cap at a speed of 6 Knots! It was incredible. The sea felt as though a volcano had erupted underneath. The boat was all over the place, and Sylvain was about 30 Metres away from the boat heading off to England. If I had not have seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! Then, all of a sudden, dead calm. We were round the cap, and headed into the bay towards France.

Above: Nearly there, about 600 Metres to go until Sylvain reaches France.

Above: Dan prepares to swim in to shore with Sylvain, a large can of Guinness tucked into his trunks for them to celebrate with in France!

Above: Sylvain Estadieu - Channel Swimmer - England to France - 14 Hours 44 Minutes. Well done. Fantastic job!

We had a 3 hour trip back to blighty, then I headed back home to Bury, totally shattered, but really pleased to have been part of another English Channel swim.

A full set of photos can be found on my Facebook page by clicking on the link below:-

<Click here for Sylvain Estadieu's Channel Swim Photos>

Nick Adams swims the English Channel for the 6th time on July 14, 2009

On July 14, 2009, Nick Adams, who I have trained with many times in Dover Harbour prior to my channel swims, completed his 6th English Channel swim in 13 hours and 3 minutes. Above are his two videos of the swim. The second one is not for the squeamish! Well done Nick. A fantastic achievement.

Mark Ransom swims the Channel!- Well done from everyone at West Suffolk Masters Swimming Club

Above: English Channel Swimmer - Mark Ransom. England to France, Monday July 14, 2008 - 12 Hours 23 Minutes.

A very big well done to fellow West Suffolk Swimming Club member, Mark Ransom who swum the English Channel yesterday in 12 Hours 23 Minutes. After all the delays and frustrations of the past couple of weeks, it was a fantastic swim and well done to Chris Pountney for stepping in at the last minute as his support swimmer. We are all proud of you at West Suffolk Masters Swimming Club.

For more info see Mark's blog site by clicking here.