English Channel swim by Crouching Tiger Swimming Dragons

Additional swim information:
The team of 'Crouching Tiger Swimming Dragons' successfully swam a relay of the English Channel on 5 August 2012 writes johntierneyswim AT live DOT com. The team, all members of Serpentine SC included swimmers whose ages ranged from 37 to 71 years old. In order of entry into the water during the swim, the team was Ian 'Stuffy' Stoughton, John Tierney, Irene Keel and John Lambert.

Lance Oram safely piloted us with 'Sea Satin' from Dover to France. Our booking was made in early 2012 with just two swimmers who would definitely take part. The selection of swimmers happened over the following months. The team started from Dover's white cliffs at 1am on the night of 5 August 2012. We reached Cap Blanc or 'Cap Blonde' as the Parisians call it 13 hours and 32 minutes after Lance Oram had sounded the hooter to confirm the start of the crossing.

The seas were choppy for the first four hours and two of us threw up not long after our swim. Irene and Ian did not throw up. I had probably added 5kgs over the year preceding the swim, this was dietary excess and swimming related.

It was scary to dive into the water in the dark of night. It took a good twenty minutes to settle into a swimming groove. The moonlit clear night helped as we swam to France on a Spring tide. I thought the water would be colder but one of our team didn't think the water could get any colder. Having trained in a freshwater lake, I found the floatability of the salt water an added bonus.

There were many great memories, my sense of fear sitting in the car park in Dover harbour, diving into the water in the dark, realising the swim was achievable and finally landing on French soil. We had enormous help from the CS&PF and their members. Special thanks to Freda Streeter and Nick Adams. Freda guided Irene through the initial shock of swopping the warm waters of Brisbane for Dover harbour. Nick Adams was instrumental in finding a late replacement on the final day due to a withdrawal of a swimmer for family reasons. Family comes first in swimming. Thanks also to Kevin and Jane Murphy who helped with our application to swim and also with our late late team change. Jim Boucher and Ellery McGowan joined us as support on the boat. They gave us great encouragement and motivated each and everyone of us throughout the night. Thank you Jim and Ellery.

As well as Dover harbour, we trained in Bedford, Brisbane, Bolsena and the Serpentine. The team name originated from our Chinese birth dates as two had been born in the year of the dragon and one in the year of the tiger. The support of friends at Serpentine SC and swimming friends was invaluable. We are also grateful to our partners and families for their encouragement.

If there is one thing you must practice, then that is get acclimatised to cold water swimming all year round. Remember open water swimming isn't just for Christmas, it's for life.