Start of the 1.5K (sprint) Race

Getting ready to swim the 3K race....

I'm prepping on the left and Olympian Melissa Gorman is smiling for the camera.

Me - mugging for the camera before the race

10K Start

That's me in the pink hat

(and purple swimming costume)

3K & 10K Swimmers

Me, ladies 10k 3rd place finisher
James Cahill, 10k 1st overall finisher
Kate Brookes-Peterson, 3k 1st overall finisher
Melissa Gorman, ladies 10k 1st place finisher

Me with my kayak escort, Sedric

Paul explains the race course

"Way over there ?!?"

Paul with one of the 10K relay teams

Race Director Paul McCoy

Kate Brookes-Peterson with John Papuni

James Cahill & Oliver Schafer

2007 Cook Strait Swimmer Hana Wolzak

New Friends from Australia and New Zealand !!!

It's Kava Time

Fiji Ocean Swim - October 2008

The Fiji 10K swim was an awesome event! Swimmers from New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Fiji gathered at the Plantation Island Resort for a weekend of swimming, racing and socializing. The 10K went off on Sunday, October 19th, the day after a little storm had passed over the island. The skies had cleared, but the seas had not yet settled, giving us some open water conditions to swim in. As we swam around Plantation Island, we started with the wind at our side giving uneven chop, then turning the corner into a following sea we could almost surf in, then on the lee side of the island we swam in flat, warm, shallow water and on the final turn headed straight into the wind. What fun it was in this tropical paradise with not a cloud in the sky and warm ocean temperatures!

This event was such an enjoyable experience for me I have decided to make my come-back and start racing again - at the age of 52!

To find out more about the Fiji Ocean Swims go to:
www.pacificswims.com

Finally - I got to swim!

On July 29, 2007, I swam the English Channel for the fourth time in 11 hours and 33 minutes.

Getting in....

I started my swim at Abbott's Cliff, just south of Dover.

Swimming from England to France

I started swimming at 11:00pm on Sunday, July 29th. It was a cold night, and the icy, howling wind made it feel even colder. When dawn broke at 4:30am, I knew I could finish the swim even though I was chilled to the bone. By mid-morning the sun had come out, but after being so cold for so long the only relief I found was a hot bath after my swim at the Victoria Guest House.

Audresselles

This is the beach that greeted me in France at the finish of my swim. Audresselles is 3.25 miles south of Cap Gris Nez, where we aim to land. The strong winds, along with the tides, pushed all of today's swimmers well south of our target.

Me, Alison Streeter and Marcy MacDonald

It's still too windy for a channel swim, but that doesn't stop us from swimming in the harbor. It looks like there may be an opportunity for me to sneak across the Channel mid-day Monday.

The "Big Q" is, if I go for it, will I be able to swim across (and ride the boat back) in time to make my flight home on Tuesday morning?!?!?

Nora Toledano and Freda Streeter

Channel Swimming Icons at Dover Beach

Nora Toledano sits with International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame member Frank Richards and his wife, Margaret.

Nora Toledano & Raquel Marquez

Nora and Raquel have come from Mexico City. Nora has been coaching Raquel for her backstroke attempt across the English Channel.

English Channel "Double Swimmers"

Me (oldest), Nick Adams (youngest), and Nora Toledano

Irene Wakeham and "The General" Freda Streeter

Barrie & Irene Wakeham and Freda Streeter volunteer their time and knowledge every weekend during the swim season, rain or shine, helping aspiring channel swimmers to achieve their goals.

Dover Coaches Barrie & Irene Wakeham

Many of the longer practice swims would not be completed without their encouragement.

Marc Lewis

Marc has just arrived in Dover to swim the Channel on the next tide. He's one of our La Jolla Cove swimmers, and I'll put my money on Marc to make it across any day!

Friday, 27 July

The wind in the Channel has gone down to 22 knots and the wave height has dropped to 5'. There is speculation that a small swimmable window may open up late Sunday. It won't be a good day and the tides will be strong by then, but that may be my only opportunity before Tuesday, when I am scheduled to return home. If I don't get to have a go at the Channel by then, I'll still have a swim "on the books"....all is not lost. I must weigh whether I want to swim on a marginal day this trip or save it for another tide/year and hope for better.

I'll post more news as I get it....

Dover Mercury News, March 2005

The Beach at Broadstairs

Lance said it was too windy to swim today.

White Caps in the Channel