"Remember you’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

My Official Thanks for Your Support

 

“It’s heart-breaking to get that far and not achieve your goal and I’ve had to learn very quickly how to lose! That will teach me for not being a quicker swimmer! I want to thank everyone for all their support, we raised just over £70,000. Now it’s onto the Munros and the Sahara, perhaps with time to relook at this one again? Remember you’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Peter Green

My  Swim

On 4 September 2013 I entered the water just after 7am to begin my challenge to swim the 21 miles across the English Channel. Known as the 'Everest of swimming' it is one of the most iconic swims to tackle in the world.

After three years of hard training which included swimming 10 hours in the sea every weekend, at least twice more per week in a pool, sprint training and stroke technique, my time had come.

I swam for 20hours 13minutes and travelled 43 miles. Missing the tide at Cap Gris Nez,  took me 12 miles past my finish and, devastated, I called an end to my swim at the entrance of Calais harbour just after 3am on 5 September.

Although, I didn’t achieve my goal this time around, I am beginning to think about the next challenge on my list and I have rebooked to swim the Channel at the end of the first part of my bucket list in 2017.

For those of you that have pledged and yet to make your donation please visit the donation link on this blog, in the meantime please help me achieve my goal by sharing my links

 

Thank you everyone, thank you

 

Peter

Earthquake hits France

The 2013 Cross Channel solo swim season started with a bang this year when on the 2nd July, Dan Earthquake successfully swam the English Channel.

Dan, swam with the CSA www.cspf.co.uk , and was the first solo success of 2013. Following the scenic route, his heroic swim took 21 hours and 25 minutes, landing at a sandy beach just outside the entrance of Calais Harbour!

Well done Dan on your successful swim.

Later this summer seismologists predict France will experience an earthquake 'doublet' , as I join this seasons names of big hitters to land on the shores of France.

Madame and Monsieur, what you're about to witness, is no illusion... please support me by raising money for the four cancer centres of the UK and terminally ill children by visiting my donation page.

As I write, I have been put on stand by to officially swim the English Channel, although I am guaranteed to swim on the 28th August - 4th September tide, with 24 hrs notice, I can from now be called at anytime to swim.

Oh how 3 years have passed so quickly....it's time to walk the talk!

I have followed a training programme structured by my coach Tanya Harding, based on my zero previous experience and her exceptional coaching ideas. From my observations, Tanya is the only open water coach that truly engages with her cross channel swimmers, in my three years training in Dover Harbour, she is the only coach I have ever seen get onto the water to support her swimmers.


At all times, she has made me fully aware of the complexities of swimming the English Channel and why it is one of the ultimate challenges in the world.   

Tanya will be part of my support crew when I swim the channel, the respect I have for her is total and I trust her with my life to make the right call at the right time, if ever needed. As a channel swimmer, in my opinion, it cannot be any other way.

To achieve success, I have always acknowledged that I will have to work hard. The commitment and dedication to get to this point has been immense. They say ability is one half of the success, coming from a non swimming background,  I have had to nurture that ability.

Emerging from the winters 'stamina building' swim sessions, I now train 10 hrs in the sea at weekends and at least twice a week in the pool, completing continuous sprint sessions, that's 50 metres in 70 seconds, including rest and recovery, for 1 or 2 hour periods. I also visit my coach once a week to improve the efficiency of my stroke.

Today, I wait poised, not as some high speed tea clipper ready to sail the trade routes but as a totally determined industrial oil tanker with the right mental attitude to reach my destination.

Over the years I have considered every aspect of my swim: Endurance, Salt Water, the Cold Water, Air Temperature and my Mental focus.

In June, I returned to swim Lake Windermere under some of the most unforgiving weather conditions,  which saw my support boat at times being unable to row up the lake and my crew become stricken with sickness and migraines, at one point I had swam half a mile in an hour and a half, due to the winds.

Nevertheless, with water temperatures at 11 degrees, I successfully completed my swim in just under 12 hours physically battered and bruised, tested mentally - just what my coach had wanted.



 

At my medical examination, my doctor told me I was as 'fit as a butchers dog'.

 

 

All I now have to do is wait for the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun to be perpendicular to one another, otherwise, a Neap tide (weak tides) and I will get the 'job done'.

I am ready.

Finally to a fellow swimmer.

It was with deep regret that swimmer Susan Taylor died in her attempt to cross the English Channel on the 14th July. Susan was 1 mile from France.

I would like to extend my sympathy and thoughts to her family and friends at this very sad time.

Susan was raising money for her charity, Rainbows.

Dover - Cap Gris Nez : 21 m (34km) - Time to Walk the Talk

Over the past three years, I have raced the boats home along the shores of the White Cliffs, swam under the fire red sky's and darkened rain clouds of the English Channel, and ridden the great white horses whipped relentlessly by the Northerly and SSW winds that mother nature has sent to test my resolve and commitment to swimming the 'Everest' of open water swimming.

Along the way, I have also successfully swam England's longest lake and completed a 5-man relay swim of the Channel, and have met some great characters and personalities from around the world, that have totally enriched my life and this whole experience.

The commitment from the support team around me, my girlfriend, swim coach and the open water team at Dover Lifeguards has been total.

In 8 weeks time, its 'time to walk the talk', as I swim the English Channel for terminally ill children and the four cancer centres of the UK., a challenge that yes is tough, but pales into insignificance to the challenges faced by many individuals and their families on a daily basis.

Therefore, if you can please help me in some small way to support other ordinary people and their families, those that lead extraordinary lives as a result of fighting cancer or a terminal illness, please donate now, wouldn't it be money and time well spent if we can help keep families together that little bit longer

TOUCHING DISTANCE - DESTINATION FRANCE 

   

 

Austerity or Stimulus... Turning Left Or Right

Whilst the world continues to debate between austerity and stimulus I sometimes think it would be better to debate whether it is better for a driver to turn left or right?

I guess for many that depends on where on the road the car actually is? For those people that lead extraordinary lives as a result of fighting cancer or a terminal illness, these debates are perhaps foolish at a time when time is better spent keeping their families together that little bit longer. 

Thanks to your continued support I have raised and received pledges totalling £63,000 to-date, monies that will help fund a young oncology unit, a new imaging centre, a cancer research and treatment suite and help fund children with life limiting and life threatening conditions and their families, providing the best quality care and support.



 

 

With only six months to go before a I swim the English Channel on behalf of those fighting cancer and those children living with life limiting and life threatening conditions, I need your support now more than ever.

I would like to enter the English Channel on the 28th August knowing that I have raised £100,000 for my five nominated charities, Together for Short Lives, Weston Park Hospital, The Clatterbridge, The Royal Marsden and The Christie.

Wouldn't it be money well spent if we could help keep families together that little bit longer therefore if you could please help me in some small way to support other ordinary people and their families that would be great. 

Please visit my donation page before I swim or email peterjamesgreen@gmail.com to make your pledge.

Thanking you in advance of your support

Meanwhile, for those seeking an update on what's been happening with my swimming over the winter months and wondering why I have not updated my blog more recently....

This winter has been a real mixture of emotions as reality dawned that this is to be the year I am to attempt the most iconic swim in the world, the 21 mile stretch of water between England and France known as the English Channel. Three years passes so quickly..!!!

During the winter months I have opted to spend time in the pool as opposed to time spent in the Channel in order to work on improving my stroke efficiency and build my stamina.

I run ever other day along the White Cliffs via the Front line Britain trail looking across to the shores of France, mentally preparing and visualising my successful swim.

I shall return to the sea this month to re acclimatise and wean myself away from the pool.

One thing Dover can be proud of is the quality of its pool and the exceptional standard of its swim club www.doverlifeguard.co.uk.

I continue to spend many hours in the pool completing 1 - 2 hr sprint training programmes set by my coach Tanya Harding and be inspired by the dedication of the clubs swimmers. Observing their techniques has without question helped me to become a stronger swimmer.

At the pool I have also meet some of the iconic English Channel open water swimmers and athletes associated to the local tri-club www.dealtri.co.uk.

A dual-athlete or triathlete has often pushed me through the final desperate sets of my sprint programmes.

Special mention must also go to Howard Keech, one of the world's premier channel swimmers, whom I often find myself swimming with...well in his lane! 

If you want to know how to swim using your legs not your arms, go and watch Howard..sheer power! Best of luck with the shark infested swim in South Africa later this year and your wedding.. I can't remember what's first or what you want to do first?  
 
Over the past few months I have paid my pilot fees for my swim to secure my boat for the crossing.

Before the end of April I am also required to undertake a medical to evidence that I am fit and ready to swim.

The realities of swimming the Channel also mean that I have had to put my affairs in order in the event of my death during the swim.

I have prepared my wills and ensured that my life insurances are up to date whilst putting my business interests in order. Something that my partner has not liked but it's the harsh realities of attempting such a swim I'm afraid.

And finally, I turned 45, stopped drinking from the 28th of last month following a visit to the famous Channel Swimmers pub, the White Horse in Dover to find space of history...I won't now touch another drop until I swim ashore in France!

Thus, as a result of all this and running my businesses I have simply been unable to find the time to update my blog.  

I will post again soon...I promise

Peter