The Grand swim was an occasion that I’ll cherish for the remainder of my life. Even now, just a few months on, it’s unimaginable to place into phrases how unimaginable the expertise was. I get overwhelmed once I take into consideration the help we had, the individuals cheering us on each stroke of the best way. It nonetheless provides me chills. Humbling doesn’t even minimize it. I’m over humbled and stuffed with deep, deep gratitude!
I do know I’m not the one one on the crew who had one of the best and worst occasions of their life inside that 37 hours. Once I mentioned I wished 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 ft, and realising that my legs did in truth nonetheless work. I wasn’t certain they’d be capable of carry me to the excessive water mark, so once I put my full weight down and my saturated legs carried my weight, the aid was immense. Most of us will always remember the ‘dance strikes’ I pulled off in that almost all majestic of moments. I wished to point out everybody that I used to be of sound thoughts and physique. I knew how a lot my family and friends had been worrying about me and, yeah, I used to be exhibiting off!
One factor I wasn’t prepared for was the noise. So many individuals had come to West Bay Dock to welcome us house. I had been alone with my ideas for a lot of the journey, being surrounded by individuals shouting and cheering my title 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 aid. All I stored considering was, quickly I can sleep!!
The Assist
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 a approach I’d have made it to the tip with out the whole crew. From challenge supervisor, kayak help and all spherical legend Jen Wardman, Likelihood Eaton, the bottom crew, boat crew, total kayak help crew, the college youngsters I met alongside the best way, radio presenters cheering us on, everybody who donated, and all of the sponsors. Each single particular person 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 help crew of people that have solely recognized you for a short while, coming collectively and dealing in the direction of a typical purpose.
The Dawn
Swimming by way of the night time, in the dead of night 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 stuffed with vitality and aid. We had been over half approach and my spirits lifted on the similar tempo because the solar coming over the horizon. The entire crew had been comfortable to be out of the darkness.
College Visits
Originally of my journey, faculty visits would have appeared on my checklist of 5 lows! I used to be not a public speaker and never a giant 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 had been engaged and listened effectively, with different college students it took much more work to carry their consideration. They wished to know in regards to the animal encounters (sharks) that I had whereas swimming! They checked out me with eyes huge as we talked in regards to the route we had been planning on taking. It’s all very effectively and good to be speaking proudly about earlier achievements, nevertheless, I felt one thing of an imposter speaking about one thing that I hadn’t even tried but.
It was the reminiscences of those faculty visits that actually stored me on monitor when issues obtained powerful. When my mind was telling me to tug the plug I recalled the faces of the kids who had been in awe and it stored me robust and it stored me swimming. I wished to ensure I might be the hero they already thought I used to be.
The Buzz
The entire Island of Grand Cayman was speaking in regards to the swim. We made fairly the ruckus, as was our preliminary intention. The construct up included radio interviews, fundraisers, and gathering raffle prizes. We had been fortunate to have so many native companies on our facet. This was all earlier than I even obtained within the water!! On the day, the thrill was unreal. We had a small occasion of individuals waving us off firstly line (at 5am) however because the miles had been clocked, and the hours glided by, increasingly more individuals took an interest on this loopy, ginger dude who was attaining unimaginable feats at sea.
The Grand Swim captured the eye and the hearts of the whole nation. Not solely because of the world file try, however as a result of Plastic Free Cayman has been working so laborious to maintain the seashores of the island freed from trash. Everybody who lives right here is conscious of how unhealthy the problem is. You may’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 are going to do effectively to see a pristine seashore once more. Even when single use plastic was banned tomorrow it could take tons of of years to rid the oceans of this suffocating substance.
Feed plan
This was my first downfall and it most likely led to others down the street. I created my very own feed plan based mostly on my Isle of Wight swim which was an error. I wished to make the entire thing as simple as attainable for the crew however it’s one thing I ought to have spent extra time on. It was all slightly final minute and I ought to have examined sure combos earlier than heading out onto the water. An beginner 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 nearly unimaginable to get any strong meals down. Bananas, vitality balls and peanut butter had been all troublesome to devour at this level.
I’m so fortunate that the crew on the boat had been in a position to improvise with what that they had. On prime of this I used to be battling a shoulder damage and I had been given a excessive dose of anti-inflammatories. A Slight mistake to my treatment 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 had been solely 4 or 5 hours in at this level and the dimensions 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 quietness it brings me. I purchased some waterproof headphones for my Isle of Wight swim however by no means obtained 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 targeted all that a lot more durable. 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 drawback! I’ll let Jen inform the story from her perspective right here:
As a help kayaker, I had some essential jobs to do, steer the swimmer, feed the swimmer and supply leisure for the swimmer. A particular bag had been packed stuffed with needed objects equivalent to vaseline, coconut oil, first assist equipment and the all necessary music machine, this bag was supposed to remain on the kayaks always, it was not. When Oly requested his headphones, I obtained on the radio and requested the boat crew to find mentioned bag. At this second, I knew the bag wasn’t on the help boat. It had been left behind on the Ocean Frontiers craft after we had been rising from the south channel at night time.
The bottom crew had the bag in place and had been ready for us to get to Spots Dock the place we would have liked to make a personnel swap as effectively. 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 Likelihood who let me know that the bag was not obtainable. 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 approach I may break the information to him. A brand new kayak help crew was prepared to finish a shift change, nevertheless, 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 had been I let him know that they had been on their approach. 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 in a position to breathe. Oly was changing into involved and mentioned that if he needed to proceed to hearken 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 aid 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 loads simpler to get meals into Oly too. And there they had been, the almighty music machine. As soon as I used to be in a position to present Oly together with his leisure I used to be completely thrilled. It undoubtedly offered him with a a lot wanted enhance at this late stage within the swim.
Exhaustion
There may be being drained, and there’s the type of exhaustion I used to be feeling at hour 30 one thing. Because of the 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 gentle aid however I used to be so drained, all I wished to do was sleep. I’m fairly certain that I stored swimming whereas having micro naps within the ultimate 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 feel I’m, doubling my longest ever swim time and having a restricted coaching schedule? However…there was no approach 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 way of my thoughts, the college kids, the sponsors, my household and all of the help crew. I wasn’t going to place them by way 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 however it was probably the most troublesome. We had 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 help to waft into my path just a few occasions. This led to me being continually shocked by the shark shields which isn’t ideally suited while you’re coping with full physique ache and a mind that’s shedding the plot.
In these moments I used to be so exhausted that I used to be in a position to fabricate hallucinations. I used to be in a position to put my head beneath water with every stroke and resolve what my help kayaker was sporting. He had a guitar, a mexican hat, a giant moustache and a trumpet, all created by way of the facility 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 obtained to the end line, the aid 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) one of these afterdrop lasted far longer. The elation after the swim was one of the highly effective emotions I’ve personally ever skilled, however it was additionally comparatively quick lived. I skilled an identical drop in temper and normal sense that I lacked function after the final huge swims so I knew it was coming, I assume I hoped it wouldn’t however it arrived and with vengeance!
I’ve all the time been fairly open about my emotions and psychological well being (though I’m typically not nice at expressing it) and I’m not ashamed to confess I battle at occasions. 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, if you happen to over use them they will have uncomfortable side effects. I assume actually what I’m referring to once I say afterdrop is despair. The weeks after the swim, I dropped right into a droop, using a excessive for thus lengthy and having such a function and within the blink of a watch it was accomplished. As soon as the preliminary elevation subsided, I struggled, like actually struggled. I used to be in probably the most lovely nation, being handled like a hero, surrounded by probably the most unimaginable individuals you could possibly presumably need to be with and performing some 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 trying again I’m undecided I used to be current, I used to be in some way distant and empty. I feel it was partially exhaustion from placing my unwell ready physique by way of the trauma of a 37hr swim and half an absence of function. For round 6 months the whole lot was Grand Swim, I ate, slept and breathed it. I’m an all or nothing type of man and I used to be giving this the whole lot, then immediately it was accomplished, what now?
Flying again to the Uk didn’t change my temper and I spent many weeks combating a sense of lethargy and slept an terrible lot, I truly placed on 10kgs within the 2 months after the swim, my shoulder damage meant I wasn’t coaching practically as a lot and I feel meals was a type of consolation. If I’m trustworthy I feel I used my shoulder as an excuse to not practice…
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 obtained my sights set on subsequent yr’s problem!
I need to say a large 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.
