Giles's Swim for Charity

[Snowy]

@Giles:

I stopped swimming when my hand hit the sand…..

That's one for the wall. Hugely inspiring!

[Giles]

Alice was one of the swimmers.

Here are a couple of excerpts from her FB post which made us giggle…

_Yesterday I swam across the Solent…In a bikini! There were tears, big smiles, big ships, blue skies, darker skies, a mid swim janet jackson super bowl wardrobe malfunction and I even got a certificate!

..............Thank you Matthew Pryor, my kayaker extraordinaire, who got my back 100% throughout the swim, kept me swimming in the right direction (not as simple as it sounds...) and calmly fixed my bikini in the middle of the Solent - wicked._

[rocket]

that's so good….

[summ3rhays]

Well deserved nomination Giles.  I know we all have enjoyed the journey and your posts.  It doesn't surprise me at all that there was an impact in the real world.

[Graeme]

Congratulations on completing the swim, and also on the nomination @Giles - I hope you're not going for the bikini next year!

[Giles]

Shit's getting serious…

[rocket]

real ice water challenge…

[summ3rhays]

Woah, I can't even imagine swimming in water cold enough for that level of gear.

[Winchy]

I just found this on my phone. Check out the confident swagger into the water…

[Madame Buttonfly]

Ah, nice memories - we were SO lucky with the weather that day 

[Giles]

Today was my first swim since The Swim.

I met my swimming partner on a very blustery squally beach and looked out to sea.  It was very rough.

We dillied and dallied and then agreed that if we did not get our arses into the water, we'd probably not swim till Easter.

We got in, swam for an hour and had a ball.

I've been back in the office for an hour, and am still shivering though…...

[Seul]

Put on a 107 in size L, XL, and XXL… If you're stil shivering: have a drink or contact your local exorcist...

[Giles]

A chilly (12.5C) miler today…..

[Snowy]

Atta boy!

[Giles]

The day I did my "big" swim, this was the lady who who monitored my (and the rest of my pods) health.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11778190.Hampshire_woman_among_few_to_dare_to_swim_a_mile_in_sub_zero_conditions/?ref=twt

Yep, i was in pretty safe hands…..

[steelworker]

@Giles:

The day I did my "big" swim, this was the lady who who monitored my (and the rest of my pods) health.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/11778190.Hampshire_woman_among_few_to_dare_to_swim_a_mile_in_sub_zero_conditions/?ref=twt

Yep, i was in pretty safe hands…..

You're a hardy group…and by hardy I mean stark staring mad.

[Giles]

@Giles:

I stopped swimming when my hand hit the sand…..

Phil, my "kayak guy" has Multiple sclerosis.  I did not know this when he helped me across the Solent.  He mentioned it later when he came around to our place for dinner, sort of because I put him on the spot with a silly question, and I snorted with laughter because the premise of him having MS was so preposterous…

But is is true.

Today, he was selected to join the British Para Olympic team for training to do a number of events at the next Olympics.

I am seriously humbled.

Go Phil.....

[Giles]

I've let my swimming slide by the wayside of late, and I am not proud of that.  I have just committed to swim from the Isle of Wight to the mainland next year.  Basically the opposite of what I did in 2014.  I can't wait…...No charity this time, it's for me....