| Its Time for Big Ricks Swim Team to take on 2Swim4Life 2015  |
| Ricks joined over 300 swimmers on the 2Swim4Life Ultra Swimming Event
2Swim4Life event has become a flagship event on the open
water calendar as well as something of a social gathering
for swimmers from around the UK as well as visitors from abroad. The concept is beautifully simple: swim a mile on the hour,
every hour for 24 hours.
Big Ricks took Three teams of two swimmers It can be done either as a solo challenge or as a team event. each team to attempt the 24hr/Mile challenge |
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| Big Ricks 2Swim4Life 2015 Swimmers between them they swam 72 miles in 24 hours Ricks team from L to R Steve , Ross , Paul , Stuart , Claire & Charlie  our home for the Next 24hrs  on Friday evening as we arrived to set up camp in readiness for tomorrows start  Big Stu was head tent Man,.. boys and toys  we filled it with enough food and drink for all 300 swimmers , let alone just the 6of us..  on Friday. Night .. we were really looking to weekend ahead  before the event has even started  and ready for the start of this year 2Swim4Life 2015   giving out the pep talk to all swimmers and supporters  to tick round to 9.am so we can this swim party started    but not about the swimming part of the event , but about counting the correct number lengths for 24 miles , for 24 hrs  lets Get this swim started... its 9am on Saturday the 2nd of May as you can see there is no rush after all we have 24hrs of swimming ahead of us..  all smiles before the get things started with Big Stu at 9.30  the Half Hour Wave get the call..
its 9.30am
time for Ricks to join the party
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This is it.9.30am
The Video start on the 2nd wave at the 2swim4life
Big Ricks 1st 3 take to the chilly Guildford Lido
to start the1st of 24 miles
to the camera on mile one..
Starting at nine
thirty in the morning on Saturday, the second
wave of swimmers entered the 21 degree
water and swam a mile (32 lengths of this 50m pool). The Ricks swimmers
completed the distance in around 23 minutes. Others took up to 45 minutes. The
faster you swam, the more time you have to scuttle back to your tents, warm up,
dress, eat and rest before starting again.
Ricks final 3 get to start
their 12 miles at 10.30
Steve, Ross & Paul
First in Paul
Then Ross
And Finally Steve
its Now .1.45pm
we are now well into the 5 hour at the 2swim4life
Big Ricks are looking and swimming Great
Mr Weldon powering it out
on breaststroke.!!
Steve, followed by Paul , followed by Ross waving to the crowd again..!
we are now 7 hrs into the event,
around 3.35pm Saturday afternoon
Steve
Paul
Mr Weldon
Is It Raining .?
We are now 11hrs into the swim, its 7.30pm on Saturday evening
and its starting to get a wee bit fresh
Lesley
Lesley ,Jim & Zoe
Still smiling ,
Paul
Steve
Steve
Ross.
yet more waving at the camera
Mrs T.
Mr Weldon
eating again..!!!
Mrs T..
deciding what to have
The staple diet of any Ultra swimmer
Ritz ..Big Stu
Our Neighbours for 24 hrs
a view from the back
a view from the posh tents
Hanging out the washing
Mrs Trent..
Kate wishing she was swimmmig instead of doing the buddy roll this year
Only 4left...
The Breaststroke Lane..
hard core
Race..
eyeing up your neighbour
ross & basher
Ross taking Notes
Jim &Lesley
the 13th hour /13th mile..
its starting to get a little fresh ..
9.35pm
its starting to get a little fresh ..
9.35pm
Ross & basher
Paul
the beeches Train..
steve ross ,paul
]
Steve & Ross
17th hr...
and still we swim
Claire is not cold really
does anyone want porridge.?
its was fun all day , promise
Stu & Mrs T
Basher
Steve.,
powered out another mile , with Mr Smith
Ross & Paul
think about it..
paul
Stuart
Mrs T
Charlie
Its it Cold Then..
Claire
Charlie
Mr Weldon chasing Mrs T
picture time
well it is 3.30am
on a Sunday morning
we do believe its starting to get light again..
well it is 5.30am
only 1 mile to swim
for Stu, Charlie and Claire
the Start of Claire ,Stu and Charlie`s final mile
its 7.30am we are 23 hrs. into the event
Big Jim all smiles
despite the Rain
Claire ,Charlie & Stuart
12 miles done..!
The Finish of Mile 23 .Hour 23..
which means the end of Claire , Stu and Charlie`s 12 miles
This is the life...
time to chill for the Big Man..
great effort..
only 1 more Mile to swim
The Start of the Final
mile. Its 8.30am Sunday morning
Steve , Paul & Ross
their 12 miles done,
means 24 miles in total for all 3 teams.
The Finish of the Final Hour
The finish of the final Mile...
the guys are joined by Andrew who did the whole 24miles solo.
amazing effort
A swim well done by Ricks swim team
we had great fun , we look after one another,
great team work..
roll on 2017 for another go..
we will have solo and teams having a bash
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Message from 2Swim4Life team
Many participants of the event
made their own justgiving pages
(that Place2Be can monitor their end ),
so I
left the maths to the charity.
Today they came back with the total everyone raised-as at 18/5/15,-
an amazing
£33,120.43.
(my sums were waaaay out!)
The largest
amount in the history of 2S4L.
Huge well done and thank you from the children
it will make a difference to.
http://www.place2be.org.uk/ |
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HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is the Royal Patron of
Place2Be. The Duchess' decision to support Place2Be is a reflection of her
personal interest in and commitment to improving the mental health and
emotional wellbeing of children in the UK
The Duchess has wished to be here today to show her support to the swimmers .!
but had a very good reason for the missing the event..
The Duchess of
Cambridge give birth to a baby girl on the very morning of the event .
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge was born into the world at 8.34am ..
everyone cheered at the event when it was announced ..
our best thoughts and wishes go to William and Kate
and the new princess..
hopefully we will see them at the 2017 event..!!!
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2Swim4Life received
this lovely hand-written letter from the Place2Be team,
Addressed to all who attended the 2Swim4Life event.
Please find the transcript below.
“Dear Lesley and everyone involved in the 2Swim4Life,Thank you so much for all that did to make the 2swim4life
2015 event such a huge success.
Every person that took part on the day and every person
that
helped organise the event did an amazing job
and we are so
grateful for all of your hard work.We were so pleased to be able to join you on Saturday
and to
speak to so many
swimmers and thank
them in person.
The wonderful funds that you have
raised truly will make a
profound impact.
With many thanks and best wishes.” |
2Swim4Life 2015..
Can You Swim A
mile Every Hour For 24 Hours..!
SEE YOU 2017
A little extra info about the 2swim4life...Claire did article for the ASA about her personal experiences of the 24 hr swim...it was to good not add...take it away Mrs T..
on Guildford's
Lido pool to undertake
the flagship event on the open water calendar in the
UK...
"2Swim4Life"..
http://2swim4life.co.uk/
this is A short
Video of just some of the highlights
of a fabulous
24hrs..
2swim4life
– the first challenge!
Several
months ago now, accomplished open water swimmer and friend Paul Bates was
talking around the idea of swimming a two-way Channel relay. Paul has already
successfully completed both the single and two-way English Channel in a six-man
relay; while his previous teammates said enough is enough, Paul wished to go again.
While ‘floating’ the idea, I said to Paul, “so what have you got against
women?”
Seeing as
his previous team members had all been male; Paul’s response was, “nothing, do
you want to join us?”
It took me
less than a nanosecond to say yes! The English Channel is on my bucket list and
although I know I do not have the time to dedicate to training for a solo
attempt, I had always wanted to be part of a relay swim.
So by
December 2014 the team had been decided on. Paul and I would be joined by Ross
Emery, Charlie Weldon, Stuart Fuller and Rob Small and our two-way relay swim
was booked and scheduled for July 2016. This gives us (me!) plenty of time to
train and to acclimatise to the cold water. We decided that along the way we
would complete many swimming challenges and raise as much money as possible to
Macmillan Cancer Care.
So, first
on our list of challenges was the 2swim4life – a 24-hour swim challenge raising
money for Place2Be, a charity that helps families of children with mental
health problems. To be honest, out of all the challenges we are doing this was
by far the last on my list and if the others had not signed up for it I would
have stayed well away. Why? I knew that I was physically fit, but swimming
through the cold night, getting in and out of the cold water was not my idea of
fun.
I did no
special training for this event and as the day drew closer I became a little
nervous that I was a little underprepared. Reading e-mails and Facebook entries
leading up to it made it even worse but I was swimming in a two-person team
with Paul and I simply couldn’t let him down.
2swim4life
took place at Guildford Lido, a beautiful facility with a clean 50-metre
outdoor pool and large grassy area surround. Three hundred and fifty
swimmers took part with 67 solo swimmers and 47 teams. Each soloist/relay must
swim 1 mile every hour for 24 hours starting at 9.30 am on Saturday 2 May. My
primary goal was to complete my 12 miles and to help Paul complete his and if
possible not to don my wetsuit (but I had it with me, just in case). Also
taking part in two-person team was Charlie/Ross & Stuart/Steve (Dunn – a
substitute for Rob who is currently overseas). The lads had pitched a large
tent the night before where we could change and rest between swims – I soon discovered
that there was no time for rest and the sleeping bag I had brought stayed
firmly in its cover the whole time!
Mile 1
(9.30am)
I am cold
already! The water temperature was allegedly 22C, however the cloudy weather
was cooling the pool to 20C. Considering your local baths is around 28/9C, it
was a little chilly on getting into the water. Prior to getting in, Paul
reminded me; this is not a race! I knew that but I am competitive! We were
organised into ‘predicated time for a mile’ lanes with 1 the fastest and 10 the
slowest … we were in lane 1 along with the other lads, this was a little
concerning for me.
I set off
at a steady pace but couldn’t go too slow as to get too cold. I felt strong and
was enjoying my swim, at 750m I said to myself, that’s half way … only to
realise several 100m later that it was in fact 1600m and not the 1500m I had
been used to in pool racing events. I overtook the other four swimmers in my
lane. This was not intentional it just happened. I finished not feeling out of
breath and Paul was there with my Dryrobe and said something like, well done
Claire that was fast, it’s not a race you know! Ross informed me that I had
gone sub 23 minutes, I felt great … one down, only 11 to go!
Mile 2
(11.30am)
That rest
period went quick! After changing into a dry costume, having a hot drink and a
little food, it was time to count the laps for the others, Paul, Ross and
Steve. I was feeling good in the water and comfortable too. In the lane were
Charlie and Stuart who were partnering and Andy and James who were doing the
solo! I again overtook the others and had a good swim, this time I went 22:30
which I was pleased with as it felt so comfortable. On exiting the water I went
into the heated tent I had discovered to change into a dry costume ready for
the next mile, hot drink and to eat I had a golden syrup porridge pot. Spirits
were high in our tent and even the sun was trying to push through the clouds.
Mile 3
(1.30pm)
Just prior
to getting in for this mile, Pete, Ben and Oliver arrived. It was great to see
them. I put Ben in charge of counting laps and Oliver in charge of my camera.
While swimming I could see nine-year old Oliver following me up the pool
filming and wearing my oversized Dryrobe …. this made me chuckle. Even the sun
had come out and the warmth it brought was quite uplifting. On exiting the
water, Oliver was keen to show me the photos he had taken. I carried out my
usual routine and met the boys back at the tent who were happy to tuck into the
Haribo and biscuits. Pete and the boys replenished our hot and cold water
supplies and then went off to have some fun.
Mile 4
(3.30pm)
Not long
after the boys had gone my friend Sarah arrived with her three children and
this cheered me up. The sun was still shining but it began to drizzle. Sarah’s
children were cheering me on this mile with their cow bell and it was much
appreciated. I still felt strong in the water and was pleased to be a third of
the way through the challenge. Another golden syrup porridge pot was consumed,
this time a little too much water was added so wasn’t as satisfying as the last
but it was warm. Sarah and the kids were gone and so was the sun!
Mile 5
(5.30pm)
With the
air temperature dropping it was difficult initially getting into the water but
after a length or two, I warmed up. We had a new addition in the lane, Paul
Smith, who instead of doing a mile, was doing three miles with his partner.
Paul was therefore only on his second mile and felt fresh. He kept with me for
a couple of 100m but said himself later that as I was repping around the 1:20
mark he let me go. I anticipated six laps to go so when the lads told me I only
had four I was very happy. Stomach trouble kicked in following this mile, which
was a concern, and I put this down to the electrolyte stuff I had drunk. From
then on I decided to drink nothing other than water and hot drinks.
Mile 6
(7.30pm)
This was
another steady mile without any drama. Solo James had been wearing his wetsuit
for his last couple of miles but he was on mile 12 now. On finishing ….
we’re half way there, living on a prayer! This was a good place to be in! After
already having consumed three porridge pots I could take no more! I needed
something savoury!
Mile 7
(9.30pm)
It was
getting dark! The crowds had gone away and we were down to the serious
swimming. As soon as I pushed off I had less than half of the challenge to go.
We were down to four in the lane. After completing an amazing 12 miles, James
had called it a day. Andy was now wearing his wetsuit which gave him a little
boost. The lads counting laps had been giving me the four laps to go sign but
in the dark this was difficult to notice they had also moved further up the
poolside so when I came out of my turn I didn’t see them, I was anticipating
the four laps to go but I couldn’t see them and then there they were. What a
relief!
Mile 8
(11.30pm)
During one
of Paul’s previous miles, I noticed that there had been a new addition to our
lane – a lady in a pink hat who looked rather swift! I thought if she ever goes
in my wave I will ask her to lead off and I can draft off her, oh that would be
nice. Lining up for this mile there she was, I politely asked her to lead the
way … I soon discovered that this had been a mistake, I was swimming very close
to her feet and as she was not doing tumble turns I quickly caught her up,
however, the only way I was going to overtake was to seriously move up a gear!
A few lengths in the situation was annoying me and I sure it was her.
Reluctantly I sped up and kept this increased pace for a few 100m in order to
get a good 10m plus in front. I was now breathing hard at a time I did not want
to and I could feel my body paying the price. I exited the water and said to
Paul that that was not in the plan and I would be paying for that later … I
then went into the jacuzzi!
Mile 9
(1.30am)
It was
raining and being in the water was a better place than counting laps on the
side! But my exertion in the previous mile was causing my right shoulder
problems. On every pull I had a pain, to the point I was concerned about
finishing. I still had three miles to go after this one so there was no option
but to slow down. I knew I was physically fit but had those early good miles
taken more out of my body than I had wanted? The jacuzzi was once again
calling!
Mile 10
(3.30am)
Now this
was probably the worst of all the miles. It was still dark, the live music had
long gone and it was raining a real damp rain. I was wet in the water I was wet
out of the water. Spirits were low all-round and while I was in good spirits
when the others were swimming, when it came to us I felt low. I had the same
shoulder pain as in the previous mile and I once again concentrated on
efficient stroke count and getting through it.
Mile 11
(5.30am)
The day was
breaking and although it was still raining, the thought of only having two
miles to go was an amazing one! Shoulder pain remaining the same, but on a
positive note not getting any worse, I plodded on one stroke after another … we
were going to do this, the worst was over!
Mile 12
(7.30am)
There was
much excitement for our final mile. After a couple of lengths, amazingly my
shoulder pain wasn’t as bad … was it all in the head?! Charlie had stepped up
his game and it took several 100m to get away from him and on this occasion I
did not lap him. He must have been saving himself! It was such a good feeling
to have completed the 12 miles! I had the upmost respect for all those solo
swimmers who had done the 24 … well done!
Afterwards
(9.30am)
Pete
arrived to take me back to my sister-in-laws where I enjoyed a lovely bath,
some proper food and subsequently fell asleep with the boys watching a movie.
