The Grand swim was an occasion that I’ll cherish for the remainder of my life. Even now, a number of months on, it’s unimaginable to place into phrases how unbelievable the expertise was. I get overwhelmed once I take into consideration the assist we had, the individuals cheering us on each stroke of the way in which. It nonetheless provides me chills. Humbling doesn’t even reduce it. I’m over humbled and filled with deep, deep gratitude!
I do know I’m not the one one on the crew who had one of the best and worst instances of their life inside that 37 hours. Once I stated I needed the ocean to swallow me up, I used to be critical. The elation of finishing the duty overpowers any darkness that was met out at sea.
The end line
There was no higher second for me, than feeling the sand beneath my toes, and realising that my legs did in reality nonetheless work. I wasn’t positive they might be capable to carry me to the excessive water mark, so once I put my full weight down and my saturated legs carried my weight, the reduction was immense. Most of us will always remember the ‘dance strikes’ I pulled off in that almost all majestic of moments. I needed to indicate everybody that I used to be of sound thoughts and physique. I knew how a lot my family and friends have been worrying about me and, yeah, I used to be displaying off!
One factor I wasn’t prepared for was the noise. So many individuals had come to West Bay Dock to welcome us residence. I had been alone with my ideas for a lot of the journey, being surrounded by individuals shouting and cheering my identify was unbelievably intense. I stored my ear plugs firmly in place however the wall of noise was nonetheless so loud. I had my medical crew there ready in an ambulance with fluids and ache reduction. All I stored considering was, quickly I can sleep!!
The Help
All through this text I seek advice from “us”, not “I”. I didn’t swim round Grand Cayman by myself. Sure, I used to be within the water placing one arm in entrance of the opposite as a person however there isn’t any manner I’d have made it to the tip with out the complete crew. From challenge supervisor, kayak assist and all spherical legend Jen Wardman, Probability Eaton, the bottom crew, boat crew, total kayak assist crew, the college youngsters I met alongside the way in which, radio presenters cheering us on, everybody who donated, and all of the sponsors. Each single individual had such an enormous half to play. Every puzzle piece was integral to the success of the swim.
There’s something magical about having a assist crew of people that have solely recognized you for a short while, coming collectively and dealing in direction of a standard objective.
The Dawn
Swimming by means of the evening, at nighttime abyss, feeling chilly from publicity and the depth of the water was draining in so some ways. When the solar began to rise on the morning of day 2 I used to be full of power and reduction. We have been over half manner and my spirits lifted on the identical tempo because the solar coming over the horizon. The entire crew have been glad to be out of the darkness.
College Visits
At first of my journey, college visits would have appeared on my record of 5 lows! I used to be not a public speaker and never an enormous fan of being placed on the spot. I used to be given the chance to speak to the younger individuals of Cayman about my earlier swims and the trigger that we’re elevating consciousness for. I used to be fortunate that a lot of the college students have been engaged and listened properly, with different college students it took much more work to carry their consideration. They needed to know concerning the animal encounters (sharks) that I had whereas swimming! They checked out me with eyes huge as we talked concerning the route we have been planning on taking. It’s all very properly and good to be speaking proudly about earlier achievements, nonetheless, I felt one thing of an imposter speaking about one thing that I hadn’t even tried but.
It was the recollections of those college visits that actually stored me on observe when issues received robust. When my mind was telling me to tug the plug I recalled the faces of the youngsters who have been in awe and it stored me robust and it stored me swimming. I needed to verify I might be the hero they already thought I used to be.
The Buzz
The entire Island of Grand Cayman was speaking concerning the swim. We made fairly the ruckus, as was our preliminary intention. The construct up included radio interviews, fundraisers, and gathering raffle prizes. We have been fortunate to have so many native companies on our aspect. This was all earlier than I even received within the water!! On the day, the thrill was unreal. We had a small occasion of individuals waving us off at first line (at 5am) however because the miles have been clocked, and the hours glided by, an increasing number of individuals got interested on this loopy, ginger dude who was attaining unimaginable feats at sea.
The Grand Swim captured the eye and the hearts of the complete nation. Not solely because of the world file try, however as a result of Plastic Free Cayman has been working so onerous to maintain the seashores of the island freed from trash. Everybody who lives right here is conscious of how unhealthy the problem is. You possibly can’t take your self to a secluded seashore with out being confronted by tons of ocean plastic. It hurts to know that in our lifetime we’ll do properly to see a pristine seashore once more. Even when single use plastic was banned tomorrow it will take a whole bunch of years to rid the oceans of this suffocating substance.
Feed plan
This was my first downfall and it in all probability led to others down the highway. I created my very own feed plan primarily based on my Isle of Wight swim which was an error. I needed to make the entire thing as simple as potential for the crew nevertheless it’s one thing I ought to have spent extra time on. It was all a little bit final minute and I ought to have examined sure mixtures earlier than heading out onto the water. An newbie mistake. I additionally failed to make use of the coconut oil as deliberate to supply some safety from the salt publicity. When the swelling began to get unhealthy it was virtually unimaginable to get any stable meals down. Bananas, power balls and peanut butter have been all tough to devour at this level.
I’m so fortunate that the crew on the boat have been capable of improvise with what that they had. On prime of this I used to be battling a shoulder harm and I had been given a excessive dose of anti-inflammatories. A Slight mistake to my medicine plan brought on me to have a fairly upset abdomen from early on within the swim. My physique merely wasn’t absorbing the vitamins I wanted. We have been solely 4 or 5 hours in at this level and the size of this swim was already beginning to sink in!
I learnt alot from these errors and would say this…. Get used to consuming whilst you’re swimming, and eat what you’re used to consuming!
The Headphones
Listening to music is one thing I don’t usually do once I’m swimming. I really like the sensory deprivation, the quiet and tranquility it brings me. I purchased some waterproof headphones for my Isle of Wight swim however by no means received to some extent the place I felt I wanted them on that swim. Nonetheless, on this swim because the hours rolled on the voices and sleep deprivation made staying relaxed and centered all that a lot tougher. I can channel out the ache, discomfort and exhaustion to some extent… however I used to be past that! The music would show a a lot wanted distraction, by singing alongside to my favorite tunes may push additional than I’d ever gone earlier than.
Nonetheless, there was a slight downside! I’ll let Jen inform the story from her perspective right here:
As a assist kayaker, I had some crucial jobs to do, steer the swimmer, feed the swimmer and supply leisure for the swimmer. A particular bag had been packed filled with crucial gadgets reminiscent of vaseline, coconut oil, first support package and the all necessary music gadget, this bag was supposed to remain on the kayaks always, it was not. When Oly requested his headphones, I received on the radio and requested the boat crew to find stated bag. At this second, I knew the bag wasn’t on the assist boat. It had been left behind on the Ocean Frontiers craft after we have been rising from the south channel at evening.
The bottom crew had the bag in place and have been ready for us to get to Spots Dock the place we wanted to make a personnel swap as properly. It had already taken us 2 hours longer than anticipated and the tempo wasn’t about to enhance. I used to be contacted on the radio by Probability who let me know that the bag was not out there. He instructed me to tell Oly, this was not an possibility. I may see how a lot psychological and bodily ache he was in and there was no manner I may break the information to him. A brand new kayak assist crew was prepared to finish a shift change, nonetheless, I insisted that I keep out on the water till the headphone scenario was resolved.
When Oly requested me once more the place the headphones have been I let him know that they have been on their manner. I pleaded with the boat crew to ship the coast guard forward to fulfill the bottom crew, make the personnel swap and return with the bag.
My luck was in! The coastguard sped off into the space and I used to be lastly capable of breathe. Oly was turning into involved and stated that if he needed to proceed to take heed to the voices in his head he was going to swim up the seashore and get out the water. Little did he know that there was no seashore, simply cliff faces at this level. I didn’t have the guts to inform him.
When the coast guard got here into view, the reduction was astounding. They pulled in tight and handed me the bag. We additionally had provides from the bottom crew that made it a heck of rather a lot simpler to get meals into Oly too. And there they have been, the almighty music gadget. As soon as I used to be capable of present Oly along with his leisure I used to be completely thrilled. It undoubtedly supplied him with a a lot wanted increase at this late stage within the swim.
Exhaustion
There’s being drained, and there’s the form of exhaustion I used to be feeling at hour 30 one thing. As a result of poor meals plan and upset abdomen, I used to be completely depleted. I had barely something left within the tank. The brand new meals provides did give me some mild reduction however I used to be so drained, all I needed to do was sleep. I’m fairly positive that I stored swimming whereas having micro naps within the closing stretch. One eye was closed for a good period of time within the final leg, inflicting a stye to look within the days after the swim.
All I stored considering on this state was how naive I had been and the way a lot greater this swim was than me. Who do I believe I’m, doubling my longest ever swim time and having a restricted coaching schedule? However…there was no manner I wasn’t attending to the end line. If my coronary heart was nonetheless beating, the swim was getting completed. The faces of everybody who supported us stored flashing by means of my thoughts, the college kids, the sponsors, my household and all of the assist crew. I wasn’t going to place them by means of all of this then to not end. I needed to do it, for them and for the state of the oceans. My mission remained robust even when my physique began to crumble.
Seeing the end line
This sounds prefer it needs to be in amongst the excessive factors of the swim nevertheless it was probably the most tough. We have been nonetheless round 7 or 8 miles from the end line when it first got here into view. There was an affordable headwind that led the kayak assist to waft into my path a number of instances. This led to me being always shocked by the shark shields which isn’t supreme while you’re coping with full physique ache and a mind that’s dropping the plot.
In these moments I used to be so exhausted that I used to be capable of fabricate hallucinations. I used to be capable of put my head below water with every stroke and determine what my assist kayaker was sporting. He had a guitar, a mexican hat, an enormous moustache and a trumpet, all created by means of the ability of exhaustion. I used to be so able to sleep, I had sufficient, it was all simply an excessive amount of, but we nonetheless had one other couple of hours to go. After we lastly received to the end line, the reduction wasn’t simply felt by me. Each member of that crew was so prepared for it to be over.
Afterdrop!
Once I say afterdrop, I’m not referring to the drop in temperature open water swimmers can expertise after getting out of the water, (though I did expertise this to a sure diploma) the sort of afterdrop lasted far longer. The elation after the swim was one of the vital highly effective emotions I’ve personally ever skilled, nevertheless it was additionally comparatively quick lived. I skilled an analogous drop in temper and common sense that I lacked function after the final massive swims so I knew it was coming, I suppose I hoped it wouldn’t nevertheless it arrived and with vengeance!
I’ve all the time been fairly open about my emotions and psychological well being (though I’m generally not nice at expressing it) and I’m not ashamed to confess I wrestle at instances. Swimming for me, as I’ve beforehand talked about, is my medication, it calms my thoughts and provides me focus. The issue is as with all medicines, when you over use them they will have unwanted effects. I suppose actually what I’m referring to once I say afterdrop is melancholy. The weeks after the swim, I dropped right into a hunch, using a excessive for thus lengthy and having such a function and within the blink of a watch it was performed. As soon as the preliminary elevation subsided, I struggled, like actually struggled. I used to be in probably the most stunning nation, being handled like a hero, surrounded by probably the most unbelievable individuals you could possibly presumably need to be with and doing a little superb issues, studying to scuba dive and experiencing what was or ought to have been the time of my life. In some ways it was however wanting again I’m unsure I used to be current, I used to be by some means distant and empty. I believe it was partially exhaustion from placing my sick ready physique by means of the trauma of a 37hr swim and half an absence of function. For round 6 months every thing was Grand Swim, I ate, slept and breathed it. I’m an all or nothing form of man and I used to be giving this every thing, then immediately it was accomplished, what now?
Flying again to the Uk didn’t change my temper and I spent many weeks battling a sense of lethargy and slept an terrible lot, I truly placed on 10kgs within the 2 months after the swim, my shoulder harm meant I wasn’t coaching practically as a lot and I believe meals was a type of consolation. If I’m sincere I believe I used my shoulder as an excuse to not prepare…
I’m happy to say I’m feeling a lot significantly better, stronger and as soon as once more have the drive and keenness I had going into the swim. I’ve even received my sights set on subsequent 12 months’s problem!
I need to say an enormous thanks to my ever supportive fiance Tess, who totally helps me and is aware of that with these highs comes the lows. Love you TESS and I’m sorry I put you thru all of it.
