Diary of YWCA Channel Challenge Swimmers

Monday July 23, 2007 10:00 a.m. CST
After five months of intense training and tons of early morning lake swimming, we finally arrived in Dover, England eager to hear when our relay teams might get the chance to cross the English Channel. Fresh off the airplane, we headed into the ocean for our first of two training swims - the salt water and waves are very different from the Minnesota lakes that we've been training in!

Tuesday July 24, 4:00 a.m. CST
Everyone got a good nights rest, and the jet lag is starting to wear off. We're training twice a day in Dover Harbor, and the waves really make our workouts tough. We heard from our boat pilot that the weather is too turbulent out in the Channel and we won't be making our attempt for at least a day or two.

Wednesday July 25, 9:00 a.m. CST
More training in the Harbor. Many of us have paired up based on speed and are keeping track of each other in these big waves. These are long, hard workouts so we're getting as much rest as we can between swims. We are primarily swimming laps across the Harbor. Each lap takes between 30-40 minutes depending on whether we are swimming with or against the currents and waves.

Thursday July 26, 9:00 a.m. CST
After our morning training swim we walked over to see the boats that will be escorting us during our swim. We anticipate that both the Otters and Masters relay teams could swim on the same day, so we've arranged for two boat pilots to escort the teams individually. The Sea Farer II and the Ocean Breeze are about 35 feet long and will each carry around 12 of us total across the Channel: the swimmers, the boat pilot and crew, and the official swim observer.

Friday July 27, 9:00 a.m. CST
Still no scheduled swims! We tapered to one training swim today and took an afternoon sight-seeing trip to Canterbury. We're all very anxious to get a confirmed start time from our boat pilots.

Saturday July 28, 12:00 p.m. CST
No one has been able to attempt any Channel swims this week. Heavy storms have flooded many parts of England, and churned up the Channel waters as well. Our fingers are crossed that the wind and waves calm enough for us to get our chance to swim. We've been training all week long with many swimmers from all over the world hoping for the same opportunity.

Sunday July 29, 12:00 p.m. CST
We just got confirmation of a 7:30 a.m. start time for both teams! We're packing our bags for the boat, and finalizing our team gear and food. Jon, one of the Masters swimmers isn't able to stay an additional day to make the swim, so the Masters team is down to five swimmers. Coach Dave will be on the Otters team boat, so the Masters team asked parents Tim Wilt and Mark Nave to join their boat as support crew. We're all so excited and ready for the big swim tomorrow!

Monday July 30, 2:30 a.m. CST
The swims have begun! The Masters official start time is 2:02 a.m. (8:06 a.m. London time) and the Otters began at 2:06 a.m. (8:06 a.m. London time).

Monday July 30, 2:30 p.m. CST
We made it! Both the Otters and Masters relays crossed the English Channel between England and France. The Otters finished in an impressive 11 hours and 59 minutes, and the Masters finished in 12 hours and 10 minutes. We're so thrilled to have made it to France, and finished on the rocky shores of Cap Gris-Nez. Now it's time for the 3-4 hour boat ride back to Dover Harbor, and our flights home in the morning.

July 31 through August 4, 9:00 CST
After the relay swimmers left England, Coach Dave had a week to train and mentally prepare for his own double-crossing attempt… not to mention recover from his 16 hour boat ride which coaching the Otters relay team across the Channel. He needed this time to rest up for his own swim.

On Saturday, Dave's coaches Andy Clark and Paul Regan arrived in Dover along with Martina and Daniel, his wife and son, and his mother. Excitement and anticipation is starting to build for Dave's Channel crossing.

Monday August 6th, 11:05 p.m. CST
Dave's Double Channel crossing has begun! His official start time is 11:02 p.m. (5:02 a.m. London time). It is expected that the swim to France will take about 12 hours, while the return trip will take about 14 hours.

Tuesday August 7, 12:05 p.m. CST
Dave has made it to France! It took 12 hours and 36 minutes to swim from Dover, England to a beach near Wissant, France. Unfortunately Dave and his coaches Andy and Paul decided that he would not be attempting the return swim to England. Dave had some problems with increasingly sore shoulders and decided to cancel the second-crossing.

Dave joins an elite group of swimmers who have successfully completed more than one Channel crossing. He completed his single-crossing even faster than his first English Channel crossing in 2004 which took him 13 hours and 9 minutes. Dave wanted to go back and swim stronger and faster than before, and he accomplished that incredible goal!