Taking on the Channel

On Tuesday 8th September at 3.27pm the Aspire Channel swimmers arrived in France, 14 hours and 27 minutes after they left from beneath the White Cliffs of Dover. Their arrival in warm autumn sunshine was a far cry from the chilly departure under moonlight at 1 am.

The team of seven swimmers, two with spinal cord injuries, swam in relay, each spending an hour in the water before handing over to a fellow team member.  James and Sophie had the honour of jointly swimming the final leg to France where they met friendly locals and were offered a can of orange juice and an apple!

Swimming the Channel is recognised as one of the hardest challenges anyone can attempt. The success of the Aspire team of disabled and non-disabled swimmers is down to their training, commitment and dedication and demonstrates how Aspire continues to break down barriers.

We would like to say a massive thank you and congratulations to Andy, Brian, Eleanor, James, Kev, Rachel and Sophie for all of their hard work and determination. If you would like to show your support for the team you can do so by making a donation at www.justgiving.com/realchannelrelay.