Brave swimmer to cross English Channel for Ows
A BRAVE man is attempting to swim the channel to raise awareness and funds for a Cynon Valley rugby player who suffered lifechanging injuries.
Gavin Lewis, who has no background in the sport, will take on the One Big Swim in September crossing the English Channel.
Although the Channel is around 21 miles, due to the drag of the tides, the overall swim will be more like 30 miles, taking him around 16 hours, but he will not be allowed to take a rest.
That could prove difficult, as although he started training in August 2014, Gavin says he has not swum any significant distances since school.
The challenge is all to raise money and awareness for the #StayStrongForOws campaign, and Gavin, from Llantwit Fardre, hopes to raise £5,000.
The campaign was launched after Welsh international rugby player Owen Williams, from Aberdare, was seriously injured out in Singapore whilst playing for the Cardiff Blues in June 2014, and he received a significant and life-changing injury to his spinal chord.
Gavin is a big supporter of the Cardiff Blues and the club has announced it will be supporting his swim attempt.
Gavin said he read an article about someone swimming the Channel about 15 years ago, and decided he wanted to do it for a worthy cause.
When he heard about Owen’s situation, he decided it was a perfect fit.
Gavin, who is from Aberystwyth but lives in Llantwit Fardre, will set off on a date to be confirmed between September 1 and 6, depending on weather conditions that week.
He said: “During the swim, I will have an escort boat alongside me that will have an official English Channel pilot, observer and my support crew.
“The swim must be completely unassisted with no contact with any member of the support boat. This means I cannot touch the boat or any member of the support boat at any time during the swim.
“I will ‘stop’ swimming and tread water approximately every 30 minutes for a maximum of 60 seconds to eat some high energy foods and drinks to keep me going through the swim.”
As per the Channel swimming guidelines, Gavin will not be able to swim in a wetsuit, so faces a chilly swim in shorts, and depending on tide times, he may be forced to go through the night and in complete darkness.
The challenge is a scary one, and swimmers often struggle psychologically as well as physically while attempting the massive distance.
And Gavin said: “It daunts me how big it is - it’s going to be brutal, and I initially couldn’t get a coach because I didn’t have a swimming background. There’s just so much to contend with out there.”
The English Channel is known to be one of the hardest swims in the world when taking into account the daily ship movements, the overall distance, jellyfish, strong tides, cold wa- ter and rough seas.
Speaking about how the training regime has gone so far, construction site manager Gavin, 37, said: “It’s been unbelievable, absolutely brutal - like nothing I have ever done before. I’ve gone through all sorts of emotions.
“I have had support from people I would never have dreamed of, but things like that make it worthwhile.”
Gavin has so far raised more than £1,500 of his target and said: “It’s really important to raise awareness about Owen’s condition. Everyone in Wales has watched a rugby match before and seen what these guys go through, so for him to be in the condition he is, is really very sad.
“I’m asking for people to dip into their pockets and give whatever they can - even a fiver would help and make a big difference.”
Gavin is hosting a charity night in the Martyn Williams bar in the Arms Park on August 13, starting at 7.30pm. Entry is £20 per person and all money raised goes to the #StayStrongForOws campaign to assist him in his recovery and rehabilitation.
To donate or for more information about the evening, see www.justgiving.com/