Out To Swim completes swim of the English Channel

After months of dedicated training, members of LGBTQ+ swimming group Out to Swim completed a successful English Channel relay on Saturday, 21 June - the summer solstice. The swim had originally been scheduled for the following week, but with perfect weather conditions and after extensive cold-water training, the team was unexpectedly challenged by the heat.

Dodging jellyfish the size of dustbin lids, freighters, ferries, and even the French police, the all-LGBTQ+ team powered through and completed the crossing in 12 hours and 41 minutes aboard the support boat Optimist, whose crew took exceptional care of them throughout the journey. 

Each swimmer swam for an hour, changing each hour in waters less then 15 degrees celsius. Out To Swim said in a release: "The mood on the boat was pure love with freedom flags, bunting and a playlist to match, the perfect celebration of Pride Month."

Six swimmers took part: Rhys Williams, Christophe Donot, Henry Hudson, Pierre O’Reilly from London, and Melanie Blackwell and Iain Gowers from Out to Swim Brighton & Hove. For Melanie, the journey was deeply personal: "I joined OTS originally when we could only meet in groups of six, on the beach in winter during lockdown.

"We transitioned to Saltdean before the pools opened, and I had never swum more than 25m with a break. With the encouragement of OTS, I’ve done so much and feel like I’ve come so far, and still have so much more to come!”

For Iain, the challenge also held special meaning:“My late father Eric passed in 2007. He was the procurement manager for Eurotunnel and spent over seven years of his life building that tunnel. We lovingly refer to it as my dad’s tunnel - and now I’ve swum over it, I am sure he would have been proud and tickled him.”