Thank you

It is a cliche to say that marathon swimming is not a solo sport, but it is very true.

On the day, the A-team support crew of Jane Murphy & John was superb. Not only did they rarely have a moment to relax during the day, they catered for my every need, kept my spirits up and made me smile when I needed it. It’s not a glamorous job but it was one that they both did with cheer, smiles, encouragement and love. I am massively indebted to them both.

My boat crew – pilot, Eddie, and crewmen, Dave and Michael – was also incredible. Eddie did his job superbly – pointing the boat where I needed to go (even though I was often pointing in a different direction for the second half of the swim), and landing me right on the Cape. Thank you so much, guys. For you, I am but one swimmer; for me, you helped make the dream come true.

To Kevin Murphy, for your openness to embrace anyone who wants to have a go at marathon swimming, and then to encourage people to stay in the sport even once the Channel dream is over (just don't mention the North Channel....) To both Kevin & Jane, for all the mornings at the beginning of the year back here in Oz after training, when I was often late for work because we just kept talking about swimming. You kept the flame burning through the following long months of training.

To Freda, Barrie, Irene & Emma down on the beach. You are all such an incredible source of inspiration and support to so many swimmers and I am sure many dreams have come true thanks to your dedication. Thank you for making me feel so welcome.

To Evelyn & Dave at Varne Ridge. The gear, the flags, the boards on the wall.... your passion for Channel swimming and your support for everyone who stays with you is wonderful. And a special thank you for the party.

To Sonia & Martin at Sandown Guest House. Thank you so much for the support you show to Channel swimmers, for making me feel so welcome, for the trip down to the marina and beach to see me off, the phone calls to see how I was before and after. And thank you for the fantastic breakfasts!

Back home here in Australia, there are also many to thank. I mentioned much of this at the trivia night, but will repeat it here in print for posterity.

Thank you to Murph Renford. You inspired me to look into this whole Channel swimming caper when you undertook your swim three years ago. Your encouragement along the way has been reassuring, and thanks also for making it possible for me to swim with my coach all winter.

Thank you to the Sea's the Limit crew and squad, for being my family when I'm so far from home.

Thank you to Charm, for being a great support on the shoreline, particularly last year when you helped feed me so often, and got me through my qualifying swim with smiles and warmth.

Thank you to Margie, for not only donating money & prizes for the fundraising, but also for giving up that which is even more valuable these days - your time, to paddle for me for hours on end.

Thank you to Millie. Your irrepressible enthusiasm for swimming, no matter how cold it is, is positively infectious. You made the training this winter so much more fun, particularly on those days when it was all such an effort for me. I look forward to returning the favour when the time comes.

For all the help with fundraising, thank you to Georgie, Suzy, Alice, Katya & Bev. The trivia night would never have been as successful without your help and support, particularly because I was so tired at the time I was incapable of making any decisions. And thank you to Karen for all your help with the design work.

An especially big thank you to Rodney at Rescue the Future and CBD Energy for organising and donating our major auction item of the solar panels and installation, which raised an incredible $5,000 for the Inspire Foundation.

And this whole year has been made all the more incredible with the support of three people in particular.

Anna Torok is the most talented swimmer I know, with the least amount of ego involved. Anna swam so many kilometres with me this winter, often in particularly cold water, pushing herself through her own pain barriers to keep me company, and never complaining (even when I was!) When she wasn't swimming next to me, she was paddling for me.

Anna, it was a joy and privilege to swim with you, including when I knew you were swimming next to me for the last few hours of the swim. I will return the favour in spades - if only I can keep up with you.

Chad, there is an immense hole in my life where your training used to be. Without you, none of this would have come to be and for that, I am forever in your debt. May we find a way to make the dream live on.

And John. Thank you. May you know how much I convey with that.

This whole journey – from the planning of it three years ago, to the big training swims along the way, to the wonderful people I’ve met, to the magnificent day I was lucky enough to experience – has been nothing short of life-changing.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it, who kept encouraging me along the way, who accompanied me on training swims, who followed me on the tracker and sent tweets and text messages, who donated money and time and prizes for my fundraising efforts, who shared the dream with me.

Oh, and by the way, it’s not over yet...

The aftermath

I wrote about the following day in an earlier post. Everyone I saw wanted to talk about the swim and take pictures and we finally made it to breakfast at about midday.

Evelyn & Dave fly the flags at Varne Ridge for those who had successful crossings.

The Australian flag at the top was for me & Duncan (who landed about 300 metres further up the Cape from me, at roughly the same time too - his swim was 11 hours 33 mins); the UK flag underneath was also for me; the Irish flag under that (even though my John claims it was for him) was actually for John Daly who had a successful crossing in 13 hours 17 mins, and the French flag (just visible behind us) was for Philippe Croizon, a quadruple amputee who completed his swim in 13 hours 28 mins and was escorted by porpoises for much of the way.

This was a Sri Chinmoy relay team waiting to swim, who hailed from various countries in Europe. I happened to have on my Sri Chinmoy t-shirt from the swim in Zurich so they were excited to see that. The team had a successful crossing on 21 September, in a time of 13 hours 41 mins.

Thanks, Mum & John.

Later in the day we went to the White Horse pub, famous for successful Channel swimmers' autographs on the walls.

It was interesting to see where people had signed their name on the wall and then returned for another crossing, and then another, with their subsequent times being squeezed in next to their name.

There is now hardly any room left on the walls so I started on a fresh patch of ceiling.




And finally we headed to the Royal Oak pub, near Varne Ridge where there was another board on the wall to sign (so many autographs!) Evelyn & Dave had thrown a party for all the swimmers, which was such a generous gesture, and we had a great afternoon.

Evelyn, Kevin, Dave & Jane